Adopted
by trallgorda
Summary: A kidfic, one where Daniel is adopted by a family offworld. Will he be able to get back to Earth and to SG-1?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Daniel flew through the Gate, ducking as shots blasted through after him, praying that the Gate would close before they were able to come through. As soon as he got back to Earth, he would recommend that the inhabitants of P4X-882 _not_ be approached _ever again_. Anyone who was different deserved to die, according to their philosophy, and that had included a naïve SG-1. His teammates had managed to make it to Earth, but a streak of bad luck had prevented his getting through the Gate with them _and_ the loss of his GDO. It was now in pieces in his pocket, and he knew that reassembling it was far beyond his technical capabilities. Praying against any and all hope that he could make it, he Gated to a world that the SG teams had been exploring lately, hoping that he could meet up with a team and make it back to Earth. So far, it appeared uninhabited, so it was safe for one scrawny archeologist.

The Gate closed, and he collapsed with relief, flopping into the grass where he was and savoring the fact that he was alive. It had been a tense morning, and now that he was no longer in danger the adrenalin that had been keeping him going suddenly sputtered to a stop and made him slow to a halt. He didn't want to move for the next month.

Still, he knew he had to move; he had to get up, dial the Gate, and radio the base so they could open the iris for him. Groaning a little with the effort, Daniel got himself back to his feet and headed towards the DHD.

And froze as he saw the people standing not ten feet away from him, watching.

They weren't an SG team, that was for certain, since he recognized none of them and they weren't wearing BDUs or carrying any equipment. There were six of them in all, and they were regarding him with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Daniel raised his hand in a little wave to show him that he wasn't holding a weapon. "Hello," he said, praying that this wouldn't be a repeat of 882. "My name is Daniel Jackson."

One man separated himself from the group and stepped forward. "I am Maykell Ludon," he said, regarding Daniel with…curiosity? Speculation? "We saw you come through the Ring."

Daniel nodded. "I apologize if I am trespassing, Maykell," Daniel said quickly, praying that they wouldn't think he was a deity. "I needed a safe place to go for a short time."

Maykell nodded. "The Ring is a transport device. You were traveling? Exploring?"

Daniel blinked, surprised. "You know what the…Ring is?"

"Our archeologists have posited several theories, but the most popular one has always been that it is some sort of way to travel. It is nice to have the theory confirmed," Maykell told him. "From where have you come?"

Daniel felt a wave of relief. "Uh, from a very dangerous place, and I was separated from my team. They managed to make it home but I wasn't able to follow the way they went, so I came here. From here I'll contact them."

"Amazing," another man said.

"Daniel Jackson, I wonder if you would consider staying here at least for the night," Maykell said quickly. "You are the only person we have ever known who has come through the Ring, and we would like to talk with you."

"I would like to, but I have to contact the rest of my team to let them know that I'm all right," Daniel said, surprised and pleased with the sudden invitation. These people were much more friendly than the people of 882! "It will only take a few minutes." Boy, would the SGC be surprised to learn that this place was inhabited after all!

Maykell nodded. "I see. Well, please do so, and then we will head to town and introduce you to our Council."

"That would be nice," Daniel said, dialling the DHD. He radioed the base, and General Hammond sounded very relieved, as did the rest of SG-1, that he was in one piece. He let them know about his GDO and his invitation from the people he'd met.

"_Daniel, according to reports, there are no people there,"_ Jack said, surprised. _"Sure you didn't get hit on the head? You're not hallucinating, are you?"_

"No, I'm not hallucinating, Jack," Daniel told his friend. "They're right here beside me."

_"Sure they are,"_ Jack said, not sounding convinced.

Sighing, Daniel tried to think of a way to convince them. Even General Hammond, Sam, and Teal'c sounded as if they weren't quite sure if they believed him, so he called Maykell to his side and asked him to speak to them, after giving him a crash course on how to use the radio.

Maykell was delighted with the chance. Clearing his throat, he pushed the button and spoke. "Hello? Are you there?"

General Hammond's voice came back. _"You're not Dr. Jackson. Who is this?"_

Maykell's grin was a match for Daniel's. "I am Maykell Ludon," he said. "Daniel Jackson is here with us. He asked me to speak to you so you would believe him."

_"Okay, we believe him,_" Jack said, sounding very surprised. _"Daniel, we'll be coming in a little bit, if that's all right with everybody else there? You know, we'd like to meet them too, and General Hammond is nodding, so we have a go."_

Daniel smiled at Jack's use of the General's phrase before turning to Maykell. "Could they come?"

Maykell smiled and gave a slight bow. "Of course. One of us will remain here to meet them."

Daniel thanked him warmly and then transmitted that information to Jack, who said that they'd be there in about two hours.

Once Daniel was done with calling home, Maykell led him and the rest of the group away from the Gate and towards the hills to the east. As they walked, Daniel asked questions about the society, what the planet was called, and about their history. Maykell waxed eloquent about history all the way to the hills, and once they reached the crest, Daniel saw (of all things) a van.

"You have vehicles?" he said, surprised.

"A good number of them," Maykell assured him.

"What powers them?"

"A special kind of power cell," Maykell said as they all piled into the van. "It only needs to be changed once a year."

Daniel wondered if they would be amenable to trading power cells for other things. Such power cells could bring an end to the dependence on fossil fuels!

The ride took about half an hour, and during that ride Daniel kept his fellow passengers at a run with questions. It seemed that they were all either historians or archeologists (Maykell was both) and they had gone to the Gate to study it. Their history began with their arrival on the planet and continued to the present day. They'd been brought to the planet by a cruel slave driver whose name had been struck from the records after his death during the rebellion against him. They called him "Unspeakable" whenever they wished to refer to him, and to call someone a "son of Unspeakable" was the worst insult anyone could use. The people were passionate about their history, and to choose history as your field of study in school was very laudable.

They reached their destination, and Daniel stared at it in shock. Those SG teams must have been walking around the planet with their eyes closed! How could they have missed a city? "That's impressive," Daniel said, staring. "You know, other teams who came to this world failed to find this place."

"That is because we did not allow them to find it," Maykell said. "We did not know why they were here, so we hid ourselves and the city."

"How?" Daniel blurted, curiosity overcoming him. "How do you hide something that...big?" Were these people on a technological par with the Nox?

"With screens," another man said. (Daniel still had not learned all their names.)

"Screens?" Daniel echoed, not quite understanding.

Maykell nodded. "We simply put up screens. Your eyes do not see what they think they see when they're looking at a screen."

"I'm sure that will make sense later," Daniel said after thinking about it furiously for a moment. "Maybe after a year or so of thinking."

Maykell chuckled as they drove into the city and down one of the streets. It appeared the van they were riding in was able to drive on road and off road, which he found very practical. They pulled up to a large building and parked, and several men and women came out to meet them, looking eager and pleasant.

"Maykell," the eldest woman said. "You have been gone for a very long time."

"We apologize, Elder," Maykell said, giving a slight bow. "We have met someone that arrived through the Ring. Daniel Jackson, this is the Council, and Councilmembers, this is Daniel Jackson, who came through the Ring seeking a temporary sanctuary. We invited him for the night on your behalf."

Daniel bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Councilmembers," he said, hoping that they wouldn't decide to send him straight back to the Gate. This place was interesting!

The Council bowed back. "An honor to meet you as well," the same woman said. Apparently, she was the head of the Council. "Please, come inside. A meal has been prepared."

That surprised Daniel. Had they known he was coming? How? Perhaps Maykell had something like a radio? Hmm.

Inside the building was a gorgeous mosaic on the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling. According to what his hosts said, the mosaic represented their first two centuries of history after the fall of Unspeakable. Daniel found it all fascinating, and he indulged in a few minutes of staring at it until he realized that he was keeping everyone waiting. The Council, Maykell, and Maykell's group led Daniel through a door into another room. This one was a dining room, consisting of a table packed with food and cushions around the table for the guests to sit on. Daniel was seated at the Elder's right, and within a few minutes Daniel was at a run with questions. Where had he come from? What had been the danger that threatened him? What kind of work did he do? History? Oh, that was interesting! They asked several questions about his work, but Daniel only gave them short answers that he would explain more fully later, if he were allowed to. After all, he hadn't received approval from General Hammond to reveal everything he knew to these people yet.

"It sounds as if you are often gone from your home," one of the Council said. "Your family doesn't mind?"

Daniel wished that hadn't come up. "I don't have a family," he confessed.

The Council exchanged looks of surprise. "You don't?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. My parents died when I was young, and I have no brothers or sisters. The only relative I have left no longer lives nearby, and he and I were never close."

"But you don't have a wife or children?" the Elder persisted.

"No."

"Poor lad," she said, patting his knee. "Alone in the world. Any family here would be happy to have you."

Daniel shrugged. "It's not that important. I mean, I'm used to it." By this time, the meal was finished, and servers were pouring drinks for everyone and handing them out. The Elder requested that a special drink called _cabas_ be brought, to toast Daniel's arrival.

"You must try this," she said, filling his cup herself and handing it to him. "It is our very best."

Daniel took the cup and looked at it. "Is it wine?" The color was similar, but the scent reminded him of an orange creamsicle.

Maykell chuckled. "It is a fruit juice, Daniel, and it is a great favorite. Try it," he said, taking a drink from his own glass.

_Fruit juice could still get me drunk,_ Daniel thought, remembering some celebrations on other planets that had given him a hangover with 'fruit juice.' Still, not wishing to appear rude he took a sip and smiled as the taste hit him. This stuff tasted like everything wonderful at once! It tasted like ice cream, birthday cake, cinnamon buns, and chocolate walnut cookies! In the next moment he'd taken two more mouthfuls, and he felt himself smile. Oh, the rest of SG-1 would love this! He went to take a third mouthful and realized his glass was empty. Without being asked, the Elder refilled his cup and he thanked her warmly. The stuff didn't taste like alcohol--there was no heat to it or even warmth, and he didn't feel dizzy or even tipsy. It was fruit juice with an incredible taste! He could see why it was a favorite!

He put his glass down, savoring the taste after his latest drink and smiled. Oh, if it were possible, he would take a barrel of this stuff back to Earth with him. It was fabulous! "I don't know when I've enjoyed something more," Daniel told the Elder.

"We're glad you like it," she said kindly. Talk turned to other matters, and for a few minutes Daniel was able to ask some questions of his own. He was in the middle of a question about the layout of the city when suddenly he couldn't get the words out. It was as if his tongue had gone to sleep! Oh, no, was he going to have an allergic reaction to the _cabas? _Didn't they happen faster than this, though?

"Is something the matter, Daniel?" the Elder asked, seeing his distress.

"Ah...fill...fuhnee," Daniel managed to get out. "Sumtin's wrong."

Maykell was at his side in a moment, pulling him away from the table and helping him to lie down on the cushions underneath him. "It will be all right in a little while, Daniel," Maykell told him, a hand on his shoulder to keep him prone.

"Wha's goin' on?" Daniel persisted, beginning to be frightened.

If Maykell or anyone else made an answer, Daniel didn't hear it. Sleep swooped down with gentle arms and carried him away.

--

Jack didn't like the fact that Daniel was on that planet alone. He and the rest of SG-1 were ready within an hour, suiting up as the Gate was dialed, and as soon as they reached the Gate room everything was ready for immediate departure. Jack wanted to head through the Gate at a run (he knew how trouble-prone Daniel was), but he managed to hold himself to a sedate walk. On the other side was their escort, a single man who introduced himself once the Gate had closed.

"I am Lidan," he said with a nod of his head. "It is good to meet you, but I fear you have made a useless trip."

Jack stared at him. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill," Jack said. "What do you mean, a 'useless' trip?"

Lidan sighed. "Daniel said that he remembered something and he needed to return to your world right away. We asked him to wait for you, but he was determined, so we had to let him go. He said he would return and I was assigned to wait for him, but he has not come back."

"He hasn't been to our world," Sam said, sounding very surprised. "That doesn't sound like Daniel at all."

Jack shared her opinion. "Are you sure he left?" Jack asked, fixing the man with a patented Jack O'Neill gimlet stare.

The man had to have ice water running in his veins, because he didn't even flinch. "I am certain."

"Why would Daniel Jackson ask us to come when he was not even going to be here?" Teal'c wondered.

"I dunno," Jack muttered, looking around. There was the Gate, the grassy hills around them, and Lidan. No Daniel, no sign that something was wrong, but they still suspected that there was something not quite right about this place. "When Daniel arrived here, what did he do?"

"He came with us to town, looked around, asked questions, and then he came back here and left," Lidan answered.

"Well, looking around and asking questions sounds like Daniel," Sam said, fighting a smile. Daniel was a question machine.

"Do you remember which symbols that Daniel Jackson dialed?" Teal'c asked.

"I was not watching," Lidan admitted with chagrin. "I was not certain if the symbols were something he could share with us or not. He did tell us that some things had to remain secret, so we respected that wish."

"Damn," Jack muttered. What if he had gone back to 882? But why would he do that? None of this made any sense. "How long ago did he leave? Just before we got here or earlier than that?"

"Earlier. He was only here a short time."

Sam began asking questions about the planet's time, and within five minutes she'd calculated that Daniel had left a half-hour earlier than their arrival.

"We were still suiting up at that point," Jack said. "And the Gate was dialed right after that. That's a really tiny window to get back to Earth, and the fact that he didn't arrive on Earth..."

"Where else would he go?" Sam asked.

Jack shook his head. He didn't know, and he was praying that Daniel wasn't in some kind of trouble. "I don't think he could have gone to Earth. His GDO..."

"His GDO was smashed!" Sam said. "Then, he couldn't have come home!"

"Look, Lidan, he didn't come to our planet, so where did he go? What did he say, exactly?"

"He said that he'd forgotten something and needed to return to your world, and he went. He didn't say anything else."

The look on Jack's face told the other members of SG-1 that their CO was suddenly very suspicious. Something about the situation was not adding up. Daniel knew better than to go haring off on his own--he and General Hammond had made sure that he understood that--and it wasn't like him to leave people hanging offworld. No, there was something not right going on here. "Could you show us around until Daniel comes back?" he suggested.

"Of course," Lidan said, smiling. "I was hoping you would like to look around."

That was surprising--none of them had expected that Lidan would be so accommodating. They'd expected him to hurry them away, but now he was leading them away from the Gate and saying that he was hoping they would enjoy their visit. Jack and the rest of SG-1 followed, and Jack was certain that something was very wrong here.

--

When Daniel woke up, his head ached, and his body ached in every joint. Something felt...wrong. It felt as if he'd been crammed into a jar and had only just been taken out, and his muscles were still cramped from the confinement. He fought to open his eyes, and he blinked to clear them. He didn't have his glasses, and everything around him was blurry. Trying to sit up was impossible, and when he tried to move his muscles fought him. What was the matter with him? Why was he hurting? What on earth had happened?

Still struggling, he managed to make it onto his side, but in the next instant he lost his balance and slammed against something, something...he put out a hand, trying to figure out what it was. It felt like...bars? Bars?

"Easy," he heard as someone came up to him. "It will take a little while for you to feel better, but it won't be that long. You're Daniel, aren't you?"

"Yes," he rasped out as he felt hands turn him back onto his back. What he felt underneath him was a bed, and he was covered up, but where had the bars come from? What were they, and why were they there? Even more disturbing, he didn't recognize the person with him. "Who are you?"

"I am Physician Karres," he heard the person say. "I'm the one overseeing your case, as well as others in this ward."

"Physician? Ward? Where am I?"

"You're in a medical facility," Karres explained. "The Council sent you here."

"Have I become ill?" Daniel asked, not understanding. "The last thing I remember is feeling odd, and then I suppose I passed out."

"That is what happened, yes," Karres admitted. "How do you feel now?"

"I ache," Daniel complained. "Why? What happened?"

"You're not ill," Karres said, patting Daniel's shoulder in a manner meant to be comforting. "How you're feeling now is the result of a medical procedure."

"Procedure? What for?"

"To put you in your current state," Karres said, handing him a pair of glasses. "These have been made to fit you, and they're as close as we could make them."

Daniel took them and put them on, and he looked up at Karres, still not understanding. The glasses worked very well, but they weren't his own. He looked around, and he saw that the bars were actually _bars_. They formed a guard on either side of the bed and enclosed it entirely, like a crib, except that they weren't as high as the guards on a crib. He'd seen a child's bed in a museum of Victorian furniture once on a field trip during elementary school, and this bed reminded him very strongly of that. Hospital beds on Earth had rails on them to keep patients from falling out (God knew he'd been in enough of them while working for the SGC), but wasn't this taking it just a touch far?

That was when he noticed his hands. Something seemed very wrong with them. They seemed...cramped? The skin was shiny, very different from what he was used to seeing, and the fingers looked shorter. That was when he realized just what was different. His hands were _smaller._ Looking at himself he realized that his entire body was _smaller_. He stared up at Karres, horrified and not willing to believe it.

"What the hell did you _do_ to me?!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"SG-1, where's Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond demanded as he saw his best team stalk down the ramp into the Gate room.

"They said that he'd come back here!" Colonel O'Neill complained. "They gave us a complimentary tour and showed us around the city—although how we missed something that _big_ is a mystery—and then escorted us back to the Gate, goodbye, and hope to see you again soon."

"They did say that they were looking forward to seeing us again, but they didn't mention a specific date or time they'd like to see us," Sam added.

"The entire situation is most…bothersome…General Hammond," Teal'c said.

"I see," Hammond said, feeling his worry mechanism go up a notch. Why was it Dr. Jackson managed to get himself into trouble on a regular basis? There was a betting pool that some of the younger airmen had set up where a person could bet how long it would be before Dr. Jackson was planet-bound to keep him out of trouble. Quite a few people suspected that even keeping the man planet-bound was no guarantee of his safety.

"Is anyone else as suspicious as I am that they know where Daniel is?" Jack wanted to know.

"What I don't get is why they would keep us from him," Sam said, taking off her jacket and draping it over her arm. "What would be the point?"

Before any of them could get any further into the debate, General Hammond stepped in. "All right, we're not going to learn anything new at the moment. We'll re-hash this all during debriefing this afternoon. In the meantime, report the infirmary and get something to eat. We're not going to do Dr. Jackson any good by standing around arguing about this."

"Gotcha," Jack said, heading in the direction of the infirmary. "Let's go, campers." He was doing the Colonel thing, setting an example, and leading the way. Still, he wanted to stand there and argue his heart out until he got permission (or a chance to take a clandestine trip) to go back to that planet and beat someone over the head until he learned where Daniel was. He had a feeling that all was not well with his friend.

--

"Please, calm down, Daniel," Physician Karres pleaded. "It's all right."

"How. Is. It. All. Right?" Daniel ground out, clenching his teeth. The resulting pain in his jaw was the only thing that was keeping him from murdering the man in front of him.

"I mean that the procedure went precisely as it should, and there are no side effects or problems."

"I'm SHORT!" Daniel bellowed. "I'm the size of a kid! THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM? THAT'S NOT A SIDE EFFECT?!"

There were nine other beds in the room with him and the occupants of those beds were all sitting up and watching this display with varying degrees of interest. They all looked like children, but Daniel had a sneaking suspicion that they were all older—a _lot_ older—than they appeared.

"Your present state is what the procedure was designed to do."

Daniel stared at him. "Uh-huh. Okay, I'll bite. Why the hell have you turned me into a kid?" Karres winced a little at the language, but he wasn't about to clean up his language at all. He wasn't about to do anything unless it got him out of there and back to the way he was supposed to be.

Karres sat down in a chair beside the bed and looked very proud about something. "You, Daniel, are helping to answer a profound need here in Almadas."

"Almadas?"

"That's what this planet is called," Karres explained. "For the past twenty years, we have been unable to have children in the developed areas. Our scientists and physicians are still trying to find out why, but in the meantime, we've developed this solution."

"Shrinking people?" Daniel snapped. "That's not a solution."

"Oh, but you see, it is," Karres assured him. "_Having _a child is not necessary in the view of the One, but _raising _a child ensures that one enters Heaven."

Suddenly Daniel felt very worried. It sounded like there were religious issues here, and they were always the most difficult to overcome in any situation. "The One?"

"The One Being, who brought down Unspeakable and unveiled the truth to the slaves that Unspeakable left behind," Karres explained. "His doctrines are very simple, but they have given us countless years of peace. One of the doctrines is that we need to raise children, and so, we've found a way to do that without actually having them."

Daniel blinked, feeling more worried by the moment. "Okay."

"We're unable to have children in the developed areas, but there are people who live in the undeveloped areas where life is much harder. Because life is harder they have only a few children a year, but there are many adults of varying ages who are willing to have the procedure done and gain a chance to grow up again and have an easy childhood. Therefore, we're able to raise children, and those who become children again are given good childhoods. Everyone wins."

"People volunteer for this?" Daniel said, not believing it.

"Yes, but we're not always able to take all who apply."

"If you're turning people away, then why did you shrink me?" Daniel wanted to know. "That doesn't make sense."

"There are some who aren't capable of having the procedure done, and this year we were short one child, but who should arrive but you? You have no family, you're healthy, and you're capable of having children yourself, once you reach adulthood. You're perfect."

A buzzing started in his ears, and it slowly built into panic as he allowed his head to sink into his pillow. What was he going to do? How the heck was he going to go back home like _this_? He could kiss going off-world goodbye, as well as living on his own or acting as an adult! Perhaps the Asgard or the Tok'ra could think of something…He shook his head. He couldn't begin to think how anyone could do something about this, even if he managed to get back to Earth in one piece!

"Do you know where I'm from?" he asked, just to make certain.

"The Council told me," Karres admitted. "You came through the Ring."

"Right. The people from my world, they're not going to just forget about me. We don't leave our people behind anywhere. They're going to come looking for me."

"They've already been here."

"WHAT?"

More than one person laughed at that, but Daniel ignored them.

"They were here, and we told them that you had already left."

"Where are they now?" Daniel demanded.

"They've gone."

Daniel put the pillow over his head and groaned. He'd been counting on Jack's paranoid suspicion to keep his team mates here, but now—NOW—it failed him. Great. Just great.

"Try to think of this in a new way," Karres suggested. "You have a chance to start over. A new chance to become part of a loving family."

"Thanks, but I've already had the chance, and let me assure you that it _sucked_, and I wouldn't wish such an experience on my worst enemy. I'm not going to stay here, and I'm NOT up for adoption! You fix this right now and get me back to that Gate so I can go home!" he commanded, glaring at the doctor.

"Fix this?" Karres echoed.

"Make me my proper size again!" Daniel almost wailed. He was getting tired of this!

Karres shook his head. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but that can't be done. The only way to regain your proper size is to grow into it."

It took him a moment to understand just what the man was saying, but when he did, he was horrified. "You mean I've got to grow up all over again? It took long enough the first time!"

"That's the only way," Karres affirmed. "Don't worry, in time, you'll feel better about this change."

"I wouldn't feel better about this if I had a couple thousand years!"

Karres shook his head again. "Daniel, what's done is done. Accept it. I promise you, you're going to a good family."

Daniel fought down the urge to slam the doctor's face with his pillow. "What if I don't want to go to a good family or _any_ family? I want to go home!"

"Why?"

Daniel couldn't believe this. "I want to go home because it's my home! I don't want to stay here!"

"Do you know where you are? Do you know how to find the Ring so it will take you back home? Do you have a way to get there? The answer to all three questions is, 'no.' You won't be able to find out, and you won't be able to go, so accept this change in your life, Daniel. It is a blessing for you and for the people who will be your family. Think about it, and accept it. There's nothing you can do."

Karres left then, going over to talk to one of Daniel's roommates. Daniel lay in his bed (his odd, child-sized bed that he fit perfectly) in this room (decorated with bright colors, toys, and child-sized furniture) that could be anywhere on the planet. He had no idea what to do.

--

He still had no idea what to do the next day. He'd fallen asleep shortly after his little chat with Karres and had slept through the night, apparently. He was woken up in the morning by a nurse with a cart full of breakfast trays, who called out a cheery 'good morning' to wake everyone up. Everyone else said good morning in return, but Daniel stayed quiet. He didn't feel like being cheery this early without coffee to help him. His entire body ached and was stiff, he had a headache, and he _really_ wanted coffee. What he got was a full breakfast tray and a hot drink that was _not_ coffee. Instead, it was a milk drink with spices and sweetener in it. He kept quiet and resisted the urge to throw it at the nurse's head (after all, she hadn't done anything to deserve it) and looked at what he had for breakfast. Hot cereal, toast, some kind of fruit, and what looked like sausage links. When the nurse saw him hesitate she assured him that all the food he'd been given was safe for him to eat since the doctor had ordered tests to be done. Daniel took her word for it and dug in, surprised at how hungry he was. He was so hungry that he _couldn't_ refuse food, even if he wanted to. When asked, the nurse told him that his body was going to be very hungry for the next few days because of the procedure he'd undergone.

"I thought Karres said there'd be no side effects. This sounds like a side effect," Daniel pointed out.

"He meant that there'd be no adverse effects; there'll be nothing painful."

"Oh." Daniel considered ANY side effect to be an adverse effect, but apparently Karres did not. It was amazing that these people could turn adults into kids, but they couldn't figure out how to fix their own difficulties in having children. Ironic, wasn't it?

Once he and the rest of his roommates finished breakfast, the nurse took them one at a time to the bathroom to use the facilities, to wash, and to get fresh clothes. The nurse was efficient, and Daniel was in her hands for only five minutes before he was deposited back in his bed, clean and dressed in new pajamas. He couldn't believe it.

Another nurse arrived with a wheelchair and took a boy off, bringing him back a short while later. "Your turn, dear," she said, picking up Daniel and placing him in the chair.

"My turn for what?" he demanded, grabbing hold of the wheels to keep them from moving. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"

"You're just going for physical therapy," she said with some surprise. "It's all right."

"Physical therapy?"

"To get your muscles back in working order," she explained. "You feel stiff and achy, don't you?"

"Going for physical therapy will get rid of that?" Daniel asked just to make sure.

"It will help," she assured him. "Time will help get rid of it completely, though. A few weeks."

Daniel did not find that encouraging, but he agreed to go because he had a good feeling that he had no choice in the matter anyway. He was taken down the hall and into another room, where a physical therapist greeted him warmly and along with the nurse led him through a series of stretches and exercises that actually helped him limber up a little. Some of the soreness faded, but he still hurt enough that he needed to be wheeled back to the ward. The nurse put him back in bed and took another kid—a girl—off for her turn at physical therapy.

_Maybe if I try hard enough, I'll wake up,_ Daniel thought. He still had a hard time believing he was awake. The rest of the morning was uneventful, and lunch was brought and set up on the table in the middle of the room. The nurses helped all of them to their seats and stayed with them, tying bibs around their necks. He protested, but five minutes later he realized that the bibs were actually a good idea since they needed the nurses' help controlling wayward and stubborn muscles that made eating an adventure and eating _neatly_ an impossible task. Everyone else his size thought that the whole situation was funny and the table resounded with giggles as people tried to eat and usually ended up making a mess instead. Even with the bibs everyone managed to get positively covered with food, and Daniel himself ended up with sauce all over his face and hands. He looked like he'd dived headfirst into his food instead of eating the odd—was it a casserole?—with a spoon. Whenever he tried to move the spoon in a straight path from bowl to mouth he ran into difficulties. His coordination was practically zero.

"How long will I be like this?" he asked as a nurse helped him clean up and to sit back down in his chair.

"A few weeks," she promised him. "That's all. After that you won't have any trouble moving. You'll be zipping about and your parents will have trouble keeping up with you."

Daniel stayed quiet as the nurses finished cleaning up from lunch and brought out toys and books. The other kids (Daniel could think of no better word to describe himself and others like him) eagerly grabbed the toys and picture books and began to play with them, but Daniel reminded himself that he still had a bit of self-dignity left. When asked why he wasn't playing, Daniel simply answered that he didn't feel like it, but could he have some writing materials instead?


	3. Chapter 3

Day 1

_Day 1_

_I am in so much trouble I don't know what to do. Somehow I've been shrunk to the size of a child and once I've finished physical therapy at this hospital I'm going to be adopted by a nice couple. Karres, the physician responsible for my current predicament, assures me that they can't wait to see me and that I'll feel more like myself soon. I don't feel like myself at all. Not even my handwriting looks the same. I asked for writing materials so I could keep a journal—I had to get my feelings out in some way that did not involve a tantrum (I'm not a kid, and I refuse to behave like one), so I turned to good old paper—but writing is a lot more difficult than it should be. According to Karres and the nurses the medical procedure that put me in my current state is the cause of some considerable difficulty I'm having in using my muscles. Fine motor control and coordination is almost nonexistent. The only way I'm able to write is to print everything very slowly, and even then the result is not neat, but it is readable. Right now we've finished lunch and the nurses have brought out toys and books in an effort to make us use our hands and arms. I wanted to write._

_I can't believe this situation. The people here can't have children, but they can shrink adults to the size of children? Why can't they fix the problem they're having with their fertility if they're so advanced medically? Why put people through this hell of becoming kids again?_

_Apparently, I'm the only one who's not enjoying this opportunity. Karres and the nurses won't understand that I only want to go home. They think that I'll come around to their way of thinking. Not going to happen, EVER. When Karres comes again this afternoon I'll try to explain my feelings on this matter. I'll explain that I lost my parents when I was a child and was almost adopted a few times before being landed with trophy-seeking foster parents. Anyway, I'm not in a hurry to go through that again. As long as I did as I was told and was a credit to them, they didn't badger or nag me. I spent the rest of my childhood and a good part of my teen years being nervous from all the nagging and pushing they did. I was so glad when I was accepted to college at sixteen. For the next two years I spent all my time at school and when I was eighteen I was so happy that I celebrated by buying myself some new books, which were a pretty big luxury in my student days. _

_NOW what's going on? NAP? The nurses are saying it's naptime. I'd like to see them try it. There is NO wa—_

_Later:_

_I wish I knew a word bad enough to call these nurses. (It's ironic that I know all these languages and I can't even think of one to say.) They just picked me up and put me in bed when I told them I didn't need a nap. The worst part of the situation was that they stayed in the room to make sure we stayed in bed. I tried getting up, but one of them (I still don't know their names) tucked me back into bed with the admonition to stay there until naptime was over. I didn't have to sleep, she said, but I did have to stay in bed. What happened? I actually fell ASLEEP! When I woke up I heard, "Now, don't you feel better?" She almost got a pillow in the face, but instead I got out of bed and hobbled my way over to the table and to this paper. I've folded the whole pile into a little book, and I'll find some way to fasten the pages together so I can keep them in order. I wonder if—_

_Karres is here. Time to talk to him._

_Even later:_

_Well, THAT was productive. He came to take us swimming. It's good exercise, yes, but was it really necessary? He kept avoiding talking to me and brushed off my explanations, but I did learn the names of the other "kids." Mauras was almost sixty when he was selected for the "youth procedure" as it's called, and he said that even all the aches and pains have been worth it. He's very happy about being a kid again and told me that I should be glad it's happened. (I managed to resist the urge to drown him, but it was a very close thing.) Yena was in her fifties, and she said that she's so glad it's happened. After all, she said, she'll get to eat good food every day, spend a lot of time having fun and being taken care of by two people who love her and won't let her have any worries. Everyone else said similar things, so I gave up. Karres said he was happy to see me socializing. He reminds me of a dad I saw once at the park with his kids. He was throwing us up in the air and catching us and towing us through the water and playing water games. He'd brought lots of toys that floated—balls, swim rings, foam noodles. (How about that? Interstellar pool toys!) I wasn't about to play, so I grabbed hold of a noodle and floated around, kicking my feet and trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. Nothing came to mind, and Karres did say one thing to me that I find very aggravating. "Daniel, why are you making yourself so miserable? If you'd try to have a little fun you would feel a lot better." I'M the one making myself miserable? PLEASE! HE'S the one who SHRANK me! If that's not a reason to be miserable, I don't know what is. The nurses are getting supper ready, so I have to put this away. More later._

_Day 2_

_Fell asleep after I finished eating last night, and I didn't even wake up when the nurses cleaned me up and put me into bed. Just had breakfast and my morning wash, and now I'm back in bed waiting for my turn at physical therapy. The sooner my muscles are back in working order, the better. As soon as I can walk, I'm getting the heck out of here._

_Later:_

_Physical therapy was nice today, because in addition to the exercises I had to do I was given a massage. Apparently massages can "wake your muscles up," as the therapist told me. The whole massage felt incredible, and I feel as if I've been given a new body. I don't hurt as much, but moving is still difficult. Ranak—the PT—said that it won't be long before I can move without a problem. Good._

_Even later:_

_Had an impromptu nap and was woken up by people talking. There's some kind of game going on at the table, but I really don't want to play. I'm not a kid, despite my appearance._

_Evening:_

_I wish I were back at the SGC and under the care of Janet. I don't like Karres at all, he's far too patronizing. He insists on treating me like a child. He says that legally I am a child here, and until I'm with the couple who's adopting me, then I'm a ward of the state. I refuse to think about this much longer._

_Day 5_

_Too depressed to write much for the last few days. Physical therapy going okay, but homesickness seems to be affecting my therapy, because the Ranak says that my progress is beginning to slow._

_Received a surprise from my adoptive parents today. Karres brought it. It's a scrapbook filled with pictures and captions. There are pictures of the house, the parents, the neighborhood, and the school I'll be going to. If anything, that book made me more depressed. It made everything seem real._

_I wish SG-1 were here._

_Day 10_

_Karres is worried, but I feel too apathetic to be concerned. I've lost weight despite eating three hearty meals a day. Also, I'm actually beginning to lose muscle. Ranak is frantic, but I really don't care. I feel too tired to worry about anything. I take naps without a problem now, even when it's not time for one. The nurses fuss, often making me join in games or listening to stories. Today we had art. We have all sorts of activities planned for us besides free play. Games, stories, dancing, music, art. We were set up with easels and paints and told to paint something that we loved. I didn't want to paint, but the nurses set me up with an easel and refused to allow me to curl up on my bed like I wanted. What did I paint? Nothing, really. Blobs and squiggles. I asked Karres why we had to do all of these children's activities when none of us were really kids. He told me that they served several purposes: One, we would learn to socialize with one another and make friends. Socialization helps a person recover from illness better than being alone. (At that he looked pointedly at me, but I ignored him.) Two, the activities provided physical movement, which was beneficial to our recovery. Three, we would learn how to play and how to be children again. What a waste of time. I'm not staying here long enough to be adopted._

_Day 13_

_Woke up in pain this morning. Ranak says that I'm not working hard enough to get better, but what does he know? I want to get out of here, so OF COURSE I'm working hard enough! Geez! Even worse, he informed Karres, and now I'm being given something called "intensive therapy." A nurse is going to come in a few minutes to take me down for it, so I'd better put this away._

_Later:_

_Intensive therapy was not what I thought. It started with a massage, and it was pretty much a full-body one. Janet had ordered one for me during my first year with the SGC when she felt I was too stressed out. It did relax me, but I wasn't used to it. I was wearing nothing but a towel during that massage, and the masseuse was a big, muscular guy named Carl. Fortunately, he understood I was nervous and joked until I calmed down enough to actually benefit from it, and today was something similar, except that Ranak is more my size. My proper size, I mean. Instead of joking while he massaged my muscles, he hummed little tunes under his breath and the humming relaxed me pretty quickly. We started talking, and before too long I'd told Ranak about being orphaned, yadda yadda. He told me that I wasn't going to languish in foster care for years and years, but I was going to my new parents in just a few short days, just as soon as I was able to walk and move without a problem. It would be to my advantage to work with him and focus on getting better. I asked him if these new "parents" would allow me to see my friends from Earth, and he said that he could think of no reason why not. _

_Hmmm._

_Even if they're NOT willing to let me see Jack, Sam, and Teal'c, getting better and getting out of here will actually benefit me. I won't be watched so closely, and I'll be able to walk. I'll be able to walk about, do research, and I'll be able to learn where the Gate is and how to get back to it. I may not have my GDO, but I'll be able to Gate myself to another world with radio capability and contact the SGC that way. There's no way they can watch me every moment of every day. Sooner or later I'll slip off and make it home._

_Day 15_

_Working very hard during physical therapy. Still going for intensive, which is usually massage and some kind of exercises. My handwriting's a lot better, and I can walk now. Slow going still, and I hurt if I walk too much, but I'm up and moving. I go home with my new parents—Mara and Karl—in five more days. Here's hoping something good happens. _


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm worried, too, Colonel, but what possible benefit could we get from going back to the planet?" General Hammond wanted to know. "They said he left."

"General, you and I both know that that's completely ridiculous," O'Neill said. He and the rest of SG-1 were gathered about the table in the conference room, debriefing, and Jack had stated that he wanted to go back to the planet to find Daniel. "After all this time of the both of us spent pounding it into his head how dangerous it is for him to go off on his own, you expect me to believe that that is what he did?"

"Well, Dr. Jackson is sometimes absent-minded," Hammond reminded him.

"Not about this," Jack persisted. "He understands that the Ga'ould would just love to get their claws on him because of all the stuff he knows about the Stargate program and the SGC. He even admitted once that he's had nightmares about what could happen if they found him on his own off-world. He wouldn't have left that planet until we'd gotten there, he wouldn't have even _gone_ there if he'd had another choice, and he would not have left without us. No, I have a strong feeling that Daniel's still there. We've gotta go back and find him."

General Hammond appeared to think. "How dangerous would that planet be? Is there any Ga'ould presence there at all? Anything threatening?"

"There has not been a Ga'ould presence there for nine hundred years, General Hammond," Teal'c assured him. "I was able to examine some of their writings, and the date for Unspeakable's downfall was given."

"Unspeakable?" Sam said, surprised.

"That is how they refer to the Ga'ould who had enslaved their ancestors," Teal'c elaborated. "However, there are no longer any defining marks or symbols on the planet to tell us which one it was."

"So there's no presence of the Ga'ould?" Hammond asked, just to make sure.

"Neither I nor Major Carter mentioned sensing anything," Teal'c admitted.

"Major?" the general turned to her.

"That's true, sir."

"Okay, none of us sensed anything other than people lying to us," Jack said, bringing them back to the main point he wanted to address. "What about Daniel? How soon can we go back?"

"Colonel, are you certain—are _all_ of you certain—that Dr. Jackson is still somewhere on that planet?"

"There's nowhere else he could be, sir," Jack said, as Carter nodded and Teal'c added an "Indeed."

"All right, you have a go to return. Your cover will be that your planet has sent you to discuss a cultural exchange among our two peoples. Ask questions about culture and watch their reactions to see if they've been asked that before."

"That way we'll know how long Daniel was there by how many questions he asked," Sam said thoughtfully. "Oh, good idea."

"While you're there, keep looking around for something to tell us where Dr. Jackson is," the general told Jack. "Daniel's the best expert we've got, we need him, and he's a good friend to a lot of people here. Bring him home, people."

"Sir?" Jack asked at the end of that little speech.

"Colonel?"

"Can we go now?"

The general chuckled. "Dismissed."

--

From Daniel's Journal:

_I am very, very nervous. According to Karres (evil, maniac people shrinker!) my "parents" are coming for me today. He says that I've accepted what has happened to me (I have, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it, nor does it mean I'm not going to try to find some way to reverse it), my full range of motion has been restored, I have no aches or pains, and I'm ready to go. I tried one last time to convince him to send me home to Earth. I told him that I won't immediately love these people, and the most they could ever hope for from me would be politeness. Besides, I wouldn't be there long. Eventually, I'll make my way home. They deserve someone who would love them and stay with them. What he said in response was extremely aggravating: "We'll see."_

_They've sent me some clothes to wear for today. Apparently, none of my own stuff will fit me now. The stuff they sent me isn't bad; I just feel like a kid in this outfit. Of course, they're kids' clothes. They're small enough to fit me, so of course I'm reminded how short I am and as a consequence, I feel like a kid. I'm wearing black pants, black shoes, a blue long-sleeved shirt, and there's a black jacket for me to put on when we go outside. Karres told me it's cooler now than when I arrived on this planet. Hurray. At least there's a pocket where I can put this book and my pen. They have ballpoints here, or some kind of equivalent that is as good as no nevermind, thank goodness. I can probably write during the car ride to wherever it is they're going to take me. I hope that it's not too far away from the Stargate._

"Daniel?"

Daniel looked up from his journal to see Karres standing at his side, with two people just behind him, a man and a woman. From the tears in the woman's eyes and the proud look the man was wearing, he guessed that these were his "parents" come to claim him.

Karres' next words confirmed it. "This is Karl, your new father, and Mara, your new mother."

Daniel put down his pen and closed his journal before getting to his feet and, deciding that there was no reason to be rude, held out a hand. "Pleased to meet you." He almost pulled it back when he realized that that gesture might not be understood, but Karl came forward and took his hand.

"It's wonderful to meet _you_, Daniel," Karl said, kneeling down to his height. "Mara and I have been waiting a long time to meet you."

Daniel didn't say anything as Mara dropped down beside him and gave him a hug and a kiss as soon as Karl released his hand. Karl turned to Karres and shook his hand. "Thank you, Physician, a thousand times."

"My pleasure," Karres assured him.

Daniel bit his lip to keep from saying anything.

"Well, let's get your things together, dear," Mara said, leading Daniel over to his bed. Karres had brought him a small leather satchel so he could carry out the few possessions he'd managed to accumulate during his time in the hospital. In it was the scrapbook he'd been sent, some toiletries, and he slipped his journal and pen into his jacket pocket. Mara checked under the bed and in the bedside table to make sure nothing had been left, and Karres walked them all out as soon as Mara was certain that everything was packed. He walked them to a car and bade Daniel goodbye as he was settled in the back seat.

"Goodbye," Daniel said quietly. He didn't trust himself to say anything else.

They drove away, and to Daniel's intense embarrassment he saw both Mara and Karl sneaking looks at him in the rearview mirror. Something had to be done about this. "Could we talk?"

"Of course, Daniel," Karl said.

"Look, how much did Karres tell you about me?"

"He told us that you came through the Ring, that you haven't been too happy about what's happened to you, but that you seem to be calming down now. Also, he said that you told him that you feel you have to go home."

"Right. Well, I do. I can't stay with you, even though I can tell that you're both very kind and eager to adopt me."

Mara turned around to look at him. "What do you mean you can't stay? Of course you can."

"My people are most likely trying to find me," Daniel told her. "When they do, they're going to want me to go home with them, and _I_ want to go home. You two deserve someone who's going to love the both of you and stay with you for longer than I will. I mean, it's not very fair of Karres to fool you both into thinking that you're getting someone who'll be staying."

"I wouldn't worry about that, Daniel," Karl said, keeping his eyes on the road. "How about we make an agreement?"

"An agreement?" He didn't like the sound of this.

"You agree to stay at least a year. If you're still not happy at the end of that time, then we'll send you home without any argument on our part."

Daniel thought about this. Why were they in such a hurry to offer an agreement? They'd only just pulled away from the hospital! Suddenly, an ugly suspicion came to him. "Did Karres tell you to offer me that?"

Karl chuckled. "Karres was right. You're very quick."

"Well?" Daniel persisted.

"He did," Mara admitted. "He suggested that we offer you that agreement in an effort to help you feel comfortable."

_At least they haven't lied to me,_ Daniel thought. He could remember one set of foster parents who'd been liars. They'd lied so much to him that he was certain they could have been certified pathological liars. Still, he wasn't sure if he wanted to commit to any sort of agreement about anything. "Could we talk about it later?"

"If you like," Karl agreed.

"Could you tell us about yourself?" Mara asked after a few moments of silence.

"What would you like to know?" It would be easier on him if they asked questions. That way he wouldn't be tempted to let something slip about himself that he didn't want them to know, such as his parents' deaths or the loss of his wife.

"What did you do before the procedure?"

Daniel wondered why they didn't call the "procedure" what it really was: a major life upheaval. "I studied ancient cultures, history, and languages on my home planet."

"Really?" Mara said, sounding impressed. Belatedly he remembered this planet's fascination for history.

"A historian going through the Ring?" Karl said, sounding perplexed. "Why would you do that?"

"Historians offered a perspective on the cultures we encountered," Daniel offered. They didn't need to know the whole reason.

"What would you like to do now? I mean, academic-wise," Karl asked, correcting himself.

Daniel fought to keep himself calm. What would he like to do now? That was a given, but not the answer they were expecting. "Perhaps more of the same?" he suggested. "I haven't really thought about it."

"What do you like to do for fun?" This came from Mara, who was _still_ sneaking glances at him.

_That_ was an easy question to answer! "I like to read."

This time it was Karl who sneaked a peek at him. "Just read? Nothing else?"

"I like music, and going to plays and music performances," Daniel said, not certain if they had television here. Would they even understand the concept if they didn't have it? Hmm.

"Anything else?"

"My friends and I would go out sometimes," he admitted. "See sporting events or a show, or we would go out to eat and spend time together. Sometimes we did other things. There were parks to hike in, and sometimes we went riding."

"Riding?" Mara sounded confused.

"Horseback riding. Do you have horses here?"

"I don't know. We might call them by a different name. What are they like?"

Daniel described them, but it was Karl who got it first. "Oh, equines! Yes, we have them. Perhaps we could take you riding someday soon, if you like."

"Sounds fun," he said, not willing to commit to anything just yet. He thought back to the first time he and Sam had gone riding. She'd shown up at his apartment on a Saturday morning last spring, saying that he wasn't going to hole up in his apartment as she knew he'd been planning on doing. Instead, she'd arranged for the all of them to have a day out. She bullied him into some jeans, a t-shirt, jacket, and boots before dragging him out to her car. They had breakfast at one of his favorite restaurants in town before meeting Jack and Teal'c at a park for, of all things, horseback riding. (How she'd talked the two of them into going riding was a mystery he had yet to solve. Perhaps she'd bullied them just as she'd bullied him?) Jack groused and complained and swore that the horse had it in for his bad knee, but at the end of the day he'd admitted that the whole experience had been rather fun. Since that time, every few months they went riding if the weather was good.

The memories made his throat close a little. "Do you live far away from the hospital?" That was the only way he could think of to ask "Are we there yet?" without actually saying those words.

"A short while yet," Karl told him. "The hospital was one of the few places that was equipped to do the procedure, and it was the closest, so we put in our application there."

"Oh." He thought about this. People had to put in an application for a "child"? How were applications approved? What criteria were used to determine if an application were denied?

At some point between thinking about the applications and their criteria, Daniel fell asleep and kept sleeping even after the car had stopped. He woke up as he was lifted from his seat and carried away from the car. He looked up at Karl, who was carrying him, and looked at Mara, who walked by their side, and for a moment or two he couldn't think what had happened. How had they gone from the car to walking?

"Feel better, sleepyhead?" Karl asked, seeing he was awake.

"Better. Why are you carrying me?"

"How were we going to get you from the car into the house?" Mara wanted to know.

"You could have woken me up. I can walk, you know." He wiggled, trying to get down, but Karl held on tight, saying he would save him the trouble. As soon as the front door was open he was set down in the vestibule and helped to remove his jacket. Once he had his bearings Karl and Mara showed him around the house: the sitting room, the kitchen, the library (he stared around that room for quite a bit before he was ready to leave), and then the upstairs rooms. There was Karl and Mara's bedroom, the bathroom (this one had two tubs, and Karl explained that the smaller one was for washing and the larger one was for soaking weary muscles), and then, of course, there was his room.

The room they'd set up for him almost made him consider staying. _Almost_. He had yet to see a more perfect paradise for a scholar! It was done in a restful blue and natural wood, and on the walls were maps and pictures of the planet, tons of books in built-in shelves, and there was a great view of a back garden from a windowed alcove that held a comfortable chair and reading lamp. In the next moment he felt very, very bad for Karl and Mara. They'd worked so hard to make a welcoming room for him, and he was only going to leave them. Karres had a lot to answer for by putting him, Karl, and Mara through this. Karres and whoever else that was responsible for this mess. He had a strong feeling that the Council was also responsible. After all, they'd sent him to that wretched hospital where he was shrunk. He pushed those thoughts away as Mara showed him a cabinet that was full of games and puzzles they'd picked out for him and a wardrobe full of clothes. He spent more than one moment reflecting that he was being terribly spoiled and hoped that they could both find someone who would be willing to stay and _be_ spoiled.

"Do you like your room?" Mara asked hopefully.

Daniel stood in the center of the room, slowly spinning on his heel and taking things in. "I think it's wonderful," he said honestly. He sneaked a glance at the two of them and saw identical pleased expressions. Daniel put his bag on the bed and asked to be shown around the outside, hoping that he could see something that looked familiar, hopefully a landmark that would lead him back to the Stargate. Karl and Mara led him downstairs again and outside. The garden was nice, with lots of space, flowers, and a pond. He was examining the pond when he spotted the swing, and before he could ask about it, Karl scooped him up and set him on it. The next thing he knew, he was being pushed on the swing.

"Um, what are you doing?" he asked, holding on for dear life. He felt as if he were about to lose his balance.

"I thought you wanted to swing," Karl said, taking hold of the ropes and stopping the swing. "You didn't?"

"I wasn't expecting it," Daniel admitted. "Could I get down?"

Karl nodded and as soon as his feet were on the ground Mara suggested they go inside so they could start dinner.

"Dinner?"

"Of course," Mara told him, smiling. "Karl and I thought it might be nice if we all made dinner together tonight."

Daniel thought about the last time he'd made dinner with someone. He'd been at Jack's for a Friday night, and they'd made Oriental stir-fry for supper. It was a new recipe for the both of them, and before they'd sat down to eat that night they'd managed to catch a potholder on fire, burn a hole in Jack's frying pan, and ruin two batches of vegetables. Finally they managed to get a decent batch of stir fry together so they could eat, and it actually tasted all right. Daniel had a feeling that they wouldn't be making stir fry that night.

They didn't make stir fry, but they did make some kind of stew that tasted pretty good. There was stew, bread, salad, and some kind of dessert that tasted like a combination of fruit and vanilla cake. After supper they washed the dishes (by that point Daniel was certain he'd wandered into some Twilight Zone of Pleasantville) and headed into the sitting room for the evening. They brought out some kind of board game and Daniel played a few rounds before confessing he was tired. When Mara said she'd draw him a bath his embarrassment was completely overwhelming, so he said he'd prefer to skip the bath and go straight to bed. When they agreed, he went upstairs, changed into the first set of pajamas he could find, and crawled into bed, feeling certain that he'd gone crazy and was trapped in some mental foster home hell that his mind had created. He was half-asleep when Mara and Karl came in.

Daniel sat up. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Karl said. "Nothing's wrong. We just came up to say good night."

"Oh. Good night, then."

"Good night, sweetie," Mara said, giving him a kiss on his forehead. Karl did the same, and Daniel fought down the urge to slide under the covers and die.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Daniel was awake early the next morning, looking through the books in his room for any clue as to where the Stargate was located, but after a half hour of fruitless searching he put the books away and got dressed. He couldn't even read the language here! There were some symbols that looked familiar, but he couldn't place them and he couldn't find a reference point so he could begin learning the script. Putting it out of his mind he headed downstairs to the library. The maps in his room weren't too detailed and he needed a detailed map in order to find out where he was.

An hour later he had a headache to rival any he'd ever had. He had another problem, and he'd only just realized it: He had no idea what places were called or how to find them on the maps. He didn't know the name of the city where he'd met the Council, and that was the one closest to the Gate. Would Mara or Karl tell him the name or point it out on the map, or would Karres have told them to keep that information from him? They couldn't keep it a secret forever, though. Sooner or later, he'd learn to read and they couldn't keep him from reading about the Gate and its location.

For a moment, the absurdity of his situation hit him. He was surrounded by books and possibly by the answers he needed, yet he couldn't read. Incredible. He was used to being able to find answers and information in books. The realization that he couldn't do that until he learned the script made him feel so helpless that he sat down in the middle of the floor, tears stinging his eyes. A minute later, he was crying, shocked at himself but too miserable to stop. Tears ran down his face and he sniffled, his mind crammed with thoughts and hopelessness. How was he going to get out of here? It would be hard enough for an adult that they wanted to keep locked up, but he was just a…well, a kid-sized adult. He kept thinking. Would Karl and Mara actually keep him locked up? Wiping his eyes and taking a few deep breaths to calm down, he got up and tried the front door, but it was locked, and there was no knob he could turn to unlock it. He tried the back door, and it, too, was locked. So, he was locked in. Was it a security measure to lock the doors, or were they locked to keep him from going out?

The knowledge that he was locked in made the tears come back, and this time they wouldn't stop. He sat in the library and let himself cry for the first time since arriving on this godforsaken rock, and he was surprised at how _much_ he'd been wanting to cry over the last few weeks. The way he felt now he wasn't sure he would ever stop crying. He wanted to stay on the floor and cry and cry and cry until he couldn't cry anymore. Kicking his feet on the floor and screaming seemed pretty attractive, too, but he settled for crying. He was certain that he didn't want Karl or Mara to hear him and try to coax him out of a tantrum; he just wanted to cry and get some of his excess emotion out. He curled around the hard, cold ball of misery that had settled in his stomach and let the tears come as much as they wanted.

--

"Daniel?"

He jerked awake, blinking eyes sore with tears. "Wha?"

"Are you all right?" It was Mara, kneeling beside him on the rug and looking concerned.

"I think so," he said, sitting up.

"What are you doing down here on the floor?" she asked, still very surprised.

"I was looking at books, and I guess I fell asleep," he offered. She didn't need to know he'd been crying, and he didn't intend to tell her.

Vain hope. "You look like you've been crying, love."

"I'm fine," he insisted. "Really."

She seemed to accept that, or at least that he didn't want to talk about why he'd been crying. "All right, then. Breakfast is almost ready. Are you hungry?"

He didn't want to be hungry, but he was. His stomach was roaring for food, so he went with her to the kitchen and took his seat at the table. Karl was at the stove, alternately flipping things around in a pan and stirring a pot of something. "Hope you're hungry, Daniel," he said as he placed food in serving dishes. A few minutes later he placed a feast on the table, and Daniel's stomach was certain that it had died and gone to Paradise. With that much food ready, his stomach would be satisfied in a very short time.

"Do you guys cook a breakfast like this every day?" Daniel asked, looking around. Most days, unless he was catching breakfast at the base, he just had coffee and a roll or some toast, but this--! He saw a platter of sausages, a basket of toast, a bowl of fruit, and a tureen full of…was it soup? Soup for breakfast? He knew that some cultures treated breakfast as just another meal without its special foods that existed in Western cultures, so perhaps this place was one.

"Most days," Mara confessed. "It gives us a good start to the day."

"I can imagine," Daniel said, wondering where to dig in. The decision was taken out of his hands when Karl offered him the platter of sausages and later, a bowl of soup. Daniel ate a bit of everything and had seconds on the sausage and soup. "You're both very good cooks," he complimented them at the end of the meal, his stomach happy and the meal a blissful memory. He offered to help them clean up, but they suggested he go upstairs and put his room in order for the day. Feeling slightly guilty at having left a mess, he did as he was asked before washing his face to get rid of the last traces of his crying fit from earlier. Karl hadn't mentioned it, but Daniel had seen them both exchange looks. They knew he'd been crying, and they were, for the moment, respecting his wish not to discuss it. Thank goodness for small mercies.

He returned downstairs to find them both in the sitting room. "Bed's made, pajamas folded, and everything's put away," he reported. "The books called to me, and I forgot everything else. Sorry about the mess."

"That's fine, Daniel," Karl assured him. "Mara and I were just discussing what to do today. Is there anything you would like to do?"

_I'd like to find the Stargate,_ Daniel thought, but he had a feeling that that wouldn't go over too well. They seemed to already know what to do, so he decided to go along with it. "Um, did _you_ have anything in mind?"

Mara nodded. "Would you like to go shopping? We bought you some clothes and toys to start with, but not much. We could go into town and pick out what you'd like, and we could have lunch out in a restaurant."

Daniel reflected how much this place was like Earth. There were cars, advanced hospitals, cities, stores, and even restaurants! Most planets were either abandoned, in a medieval state, or very advanced. The closest they'd ever come to "Earth-like" had been Kelowna, but this place was pretty darn close to Earth. Creepy. Well, despite wanting to see more of the place, he couldn't let them waste money on him, and told them so, reminding them that he couldn't stay.

"How about you indulge us?" Karl suggested.

"I'd still feel bad about it," Daniel persisted. "You're doing so much for me, and I won't be here for very long at all. You guys have been wonderful to me, and it's not fair of me to leave, but I _can't_ stay. Why don't you save all that money for someone who _will_ stay?"

"What makes you think we would spoil someone else just as much? Perhaps we really want to spoil _you_ while we have you," Mara pointed out. "Come on, Daniel. Let's go out and wander about town and have a meal out. We both think you'll enjoy it."

Daniel thought about it and realized that if they were in town, he might see a landmark that could lead him back to the Gate. Deciding to go and keep his eyes open, he agreed, and Karl offered him his jacket.

--

"Colonel O'Neill! It's good to see you again!"

"Hello, Lidan," Jack said as he walked away from the Gate. "Good to see you, too."

"Thanks for responding to our message so quickly," Sam said, happy that Almadas had agreed to their coming back. The fact that Almadas was willing to let them come back told them two things: One, that Daniel really wasn't there, or two, that the Almadans were certain that he would not be found and allowed SG-1 to come in order to deflect suspicion.

"Our pleasure," Lidan assured them all. "We are eager to get to know your people."

"Well, we're eager, too," Jack said as they headed up the hill towards the vehicle waiting there. "General Hammond was even more eager." Jack smiled, thinking that all of General Hammond's eagerness to get to know these people was due to their search for Daniel.

"Oh, good," Lidan answered. "Let's go, shall we? The Council is looking forward to seeing you again."

_Either this guy is a really good actor, or the Council really wants to see us again,_ Jack thought. _Then again, he could just be clueless._

The ride to the city seemed short, filled with comments and questions from Lidan. He asked how their journey had been (he seemed to have the impression that a trip through the Ring took a while instead of being almost instantaneous) and if a visit from the General would be forthcoming.

"It is possible, but General Hammond rarely travels to other worlds," Teal'c said. "He is most often needed at home."

"Well, we'll have to make it worth his while," Lidan said. "Your General Hammond sounds as if he has a great deal in common with our Council."

"We could try to get him to visit, but we can't promise that he will," Sam said, sounding thoughtful. Perhaps an official's visit would be enough to convince the Council that if they knew anything about Daniel, they'd better confess it. She had a feeling that the people of Almadas would not be too calm about upsetting a possible unknown factor.

--

The ride to town was a short one, and Daniel saw that "town" was not the city he'd seen before. Sitting firmly on his disappointment, he watched the landscape pass by until they parked and left the car. There were shops on either side of the street and people milling about, and more than once people glanced curiously at Daniel. He stuck next to Karl and Mara as if he were suddenly glued there. He was very, very nervous all of a sudden. If children were rare here, then there was a very real chance that someone might just decide to snatch him for themselves.

"What's the matter, Daniel?" Karl asked, seeing his worried face.

"Lots of people," he muttered, not pulling away when Mara took his hand.

"Well, don't be afraid," Karl told him, taking his other hand. "No one would hurt you."

Daniel kept quiet.

"What's first?" Mara said thoughtfully. "Clothing, toys, or books?"

Daniel's ears pricked up when she mentioned _books._ Like any true bibliophile, he could never get enough books. Then again, they'd already bought him some and they had that huge library. Did he _need_ more? Not really, no, but…_Get hold of yourself, stupid,_ he told himself. _You won't be here long enough to read the books even if you do get them, so don't let them waste their money, Daniel._

"I think books are the first order of the day," Karl said, noticing Daniel's barely concealed reaction to Mara's question.

"I don't need them," Daniel said quickly.

Karl knelt down so he could look Daniel in the eye. "This isn't about what you need, Daniel. It's about what you want. If you want something, then we'll get it for you, all right?"

A bookstore was right across the street, so they led him inside and told him to look around. He looked around, but he couldn't read any of the signs, nor could he read the titles of the books.

"Look, this is silly," he said after a moment. "I can't _read_ your language yet, so why are we shopping for books?"

"Well, how about we read you some titles and see if any jump out at you?" Mara suggested.

An hour later Daniel had a headache. They were determined to get him some books, so he finally chose a global history atlas, a book of folk tales, and a primer designed to teach children to read.

"Why did you want this last one, Daniel?" Karl asked as they stood in line to check out.

"I'm going crazy, being unable to read," he confessed. "Besides, if I'm going to get books, then I should be able to read them, shouldn't I?"

"They'll teach you how to read at school," Karl pointed out, sounding very amused.

"School?" He'd forgotten about the picture of the school in the scrapbook they'd sent him. "Answer me this: Why do we have to go to school when we're actually adults?"

"Well, there are some things you'll need to learn. How much do you know about the history, society, or customs of Almadas? You'll learn all that in school, plus a lot more."

"What if I don't want to go?" Daniel asked.

They both laughed, and Daniel had to fight down a sudden urge to start yelling at them. They were doing that 'oh, he's so cute' laugh, and it was very annoying!

"I'm serious, guys," he persisted. "I've already been through school, and if I need to know about something you could tell me, or I could read about it."

"You don't read yet, dear," Mara reminded him.

"Will you teach me, then? We have a primer."

"They'll be able to teach you at school."

Daniel fought down the sudden urge to throw something. "And we come back to the question, 'What if I don't want to go?'"

"We'll see what you think after your first day," Karl told him as he paid for the books. "School is always a lot of fun."

Daniel stayed quiet, trying to keep his temper. He seemed to be biting his lip a lot lately so he wouldn't start shouting. He was certain they heard what he was saying, but they either weren't listening or they didn't care. If they didn't care, then the situation did not bode well for him getting home anytime soon.

After the bookstore they went to a clothing shop, where a clerk measured him to find his size and helped him choose a few new outfits. The new clothes depressed Daniel—they were so _small_! Whenever he was reminded just how small he was he felt depressed all over again. Still, when they went to the toy store his spirits lifted a bit. He asked for a sketchbook, some drawing pencils, and art supplies. With those he'd be able to make copies of maps he saw and compare the copies, hopefully allowing him to locate himself and his relative position to the Stargate. If he found where it was he would be able to go home. That thought alone was keeping him going, and he hated to think what would happen if he couldn't find the Gate.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_An Excerpt from Daniel's Journal_

_What a day! I had a crying fit this morning in the library—I couldn't find any info on the Stargate, and I realized that I couldn't read the info even if I found it. I don't know the script here, so I'm stuck. Karl and Mara decided to take me shopping, which was a complete waste of time in my opinion. I'm not staying. We had lunch out at a restaurant, which was pretty nice. There's no equivalent to McDonald's here. I forget the name of the restaurant, but there was a hostess who seated us, a waiter brought menus and took our order, and I could tell that everything had been made fresh after we ordered it. The food is pretty good here—I don't recognize most of it, but Karl and Mara told me that Karres had performed toxicity tests to make sure I wouldn't inadvertently poison myself. (That just makes me feel brimful of confidence.) He told them I can't have a certain type of nut and a certain type of seasoning; I forget the names, but I'm certain they'll keep both things away from me. _

_Karl and Mara spoiled me rotten today, which was actually kind of fun. When was the last time I was spoiled? It has to be Abydos. I'd gotten sick with their version of the common cold, but on Abydos, you only have a cold ONCE, and then you're immune to it, but I didn't have any immunity. It hit me hard after I'd been there two months and lasted close to two weeks, and during those two weeks I was the most wonderfully spoiled man on the planet. Sha're brought me dozens of tempting little dishes to get me to eat (which all tasted delicious), told me stories and sang me songs, and at night to help me sleep she rubbed my back and played with my hair. Mind you, almost everyone on Abydos did that. No one else had blond hair and after I was sick most of the population lost their awe of me (I had helped to deliver them from Ra, and it was pretty embarrassing when they knelt to me because of that) and they allowed their curiosity to show. A lot of the kids and most of the elders just had to touch my hair to be sure the color was real. The grandmas were the worst, and some of them even tried to braid it! Whenever Sha're saw that she'd laugh until she had tears in her eyes. She told me that grandmothers did that for their grandsons, but only when they were little. A grown man having it done was a funny sight, but I told her I wouldn't mind being a grandson to any grandma wanting one. After all, grandmas were nice. I have a strong suspicion that she told others about that, because suddenly I was "Grandson" to quite a number of old ladies and most days I found my hair being braided at some point. Usually, one of them would ask me for help with something, I would give it, the old lady or ladies in question would give me a cup of water and tell me sit in the shade to rest, and then fingers would descend on my head. Sha're told me that I'd probably have to grow my hair to my waist to keep them happy, but I drew the line at my ears._

_All of this reminiscing has made me realize something: Do Karl and Mara still have parents? Will I have the equivalent of grandparents while I'm here? Hmm. I'm not certain I could break an old lady's heart. I'm kind of hoping that I don't have "grandparents." I don't think I could take it. I CAN'T stay, but suddenly having grandparents—and loving grandmas-- would make it very, very hard to leave. While I was in college I visited the student counseling center a lot. Once I entered school I started to feel anxious all the time and I often had nightmares. My counselor worked with me about my fears and helped me gain a little insight into my character. According to her, I crave affection since I'd received very little of it after my parents' deaths. Grandmas would probably give me affection in abundance, and I'd want to stay so I could have it. I have to avoid this._

_What was I saying about today? Oh, yes. Restaurant was very nice, food great. I saw a few other "kids" in the restaurant, but I didn't recognize them. After lunch we took the packages to the car and went to a park, which surprised me. I'd thought we were going back to the house, but instead we were making a day out of our little trip. There were paths, gardens, ponds with fish (Jack would have run for his fishing tackle), benches, and even swings set up that could hold several people. There was a LOT of space to run around in, but I stayed with Karl and Mara since I wasn't in the mood to run around, although there were plenty of kids doing so. We walked and talked, and as we reached the crest of a hill I looked down and saw a HUGE playground. There were lots of swings (several types), lots of slides (several types, lost count), see-saws, a merry-go-round (this one with actual carved animals you could sit on while someone else turned the whole thing for you), and every kind of climbing apparatus you could think of. Monkey bars, cargo nets, and I don't know what else. Sandbox, climbing rocks, and even a little pool about six inches deep. Lots of kids had their shoes off and were splashing around. I was surprised at this, but then I realized that Karl and Mara expected me—actually EXPECTED me—to play. _

_Play? I don't play. Well, technically speaking, adults DO play. What adult hasn't sat down to a game with a friend or family member? Or watch a movie or read a book? That counts as play, but I wasn't about to play like a kid just because they expected me to. Not a chance. We walked around the playground, but I didn't go for the equipment like they expected me to. Instead, I asked questions about where the playground had come from. The disappointment on their faces wasn't as satisfying as I'd thought it'd be, but it got me out of pretending to be a kid. They have to understand a few things:_

_I'm not a kid._

_I'm not staying._

_That about sums it up. We came back to the house and had supper, and afterward we sat in the library. I thumbed through my book of maps that I'd picked out while Karl read aloud to us. His choice was an old novel, and I barely listened. I kept looking at my maps, hoping to find something that would help me locate the Gate, but I'm no closer than I was this morning. I'm getting my primer. I HAVE to learn to READ._

Later:

_I wish these people used the Roman alphabet! I had a lot of trouble with the primer, so I asked Mara and Karl to help me. Apparently, there are certain combinations of letters that can only appear after other combinations of letters, and in addition to that there are softening symbols, hardening symbols, a glottal stop, and an accent mark to learn. I don't care how difficult it is, I just want the print on the page to make SENSE._

Even later:

_I don't care if it's late; I'm going to finish this! And I'm NOT their SON!_

--

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Bedtime, Daniel. It's late," Karl said, looking down at his adopted son.

"In a minute."

"The print will stay on the page, Daniel," Karl persisted. "Let's go, son."

Neither of them could tell if he was coming out of their reverie or if Karl had touched a nerve somehow. Daniel stiffened, jotted something more down in his journal and picked up his books before muttering a goodnight and going to his room.

"I'll run him a bath," Mara said, getting to her feet. "He'll have to want one by now."

"Thanks. Do you think he'll settle soon?"

Mara smiled at her husband. "Karres said that there's always a period of adjustment. We can't expect miracles, Karl."

"Can we still pray for them?"

She smiled before leaning over and giving him a kiss. "We can try."

--

Much, much later:

_Barely kept my temper. Karl called me 'son.' Some people may not think that too big of an issue, but for me it is. Dad would call me 'son' all the time, and I could tell that he was proud and glad every time he said the word. I don't mind when General Hammond says it, because he reminds me of Dad in a lot of ways, but Karl doesn't remind me of Dad at all. No, he's beginning to remind me of one of my foster-fathers. The trophy-hunter one. Just the way he spoke earlier. If he turns out to be another one like that guy, then I am definitely out of here. Well, the easiest way to do that is to learn to read so I can read the maps, so here I go._

And later:

_No idea what time it is. I think it's getting light outside, but I can read now. I've read everything in the primer and I've moved on to a book. Can barely keep my eyes open. Curse this smaller body's need for sleep. Usually I could go all night and well into the next day without having to go to sleep, but now I'm ready to crash, and if feels like I may be out for a week or two. I'm so tired._

Next day:

_Karl came in to wake me up this morning, so I threw a pillow at him. I could hear him tell Mara that I was still cranky, so why not let me sleep? He did insist that I get up at lunch time, so I got up, but I was still tired. A nap after lunch would have been really nice, but instead I took my atlas out to the garden and started to look through it. Haven't found it yet, but I will._

--

"Anyone else certain that they're not telling the truth?" Jack asked the next morning. They'd been shown around the city (again), met with the Council, and now they were the Council's guests with quarters in the Council House.

"Daniel Jackson was here," Teal'c said thoughtfully. "Why do they not admit that he is still here?"

"I dunno," Jack muttered. "They could want to keep him here for a million reasons! I mean, it's _Daniel_ we're talking about! Over the years people have wanted to marry him, keep him as a trophy, sacrifice him, ascend him, descend him, murder him, torture him, interrogate him, adopt him, search through his mind…Pick a reason! All I know is that he's here!"

"I really hope that they're not planning on sacrificing him or killing him," Sam said, sounding very worried. "How close were we on P4-"

"Aht!" Jack cut in. "We all agreed, for the safety of _my_ peace of mind, never to mention that again, Carter."

"Sorry, sir."

Teal'c realized which time Carter was talking about. "Was that not the time—"

"We're not revisiting that one, Teal'c," Jack insisted. "We're not even going to _think _about it, okay?"

Teal'c stayed silent, but he could remember that O'Neill had asked to stay on Earth for a while after that mission. He'd heard a rumor around the base that O'Neill had lost his nerve, but Teal'c knew that his friend had needed some time to recover from almost losing Daniel Jackson to the jaws of a hungry creature that the people of the planet believed to be a god. The creature had been about to take a rather large bite out of their friend before SG-1 could intervene. From what Daniel was able to tell them later in the infirmary, he'd been accepted as a sacrifice simply because he was learned.

"So, how do we find him?" Sam asked.

"We look for trouble," Jack said at last. "Any kind of commotion. I know it usually follows me, but it also follows Daniel. We'll find him if we keep our eyes open."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"No."

"Daniel?" Karl.

"I'm not going."

"Don't be ridiculous, dear." Mara.

"Of course you're going." Karl.

"I've said I'm not going," Daniel insisted. "I don't need to go to school, and that's the end of it."

All three of them were at the breakfast table, and Karl had mentioned that school would be starting in two days. After a moment of shocked silence Daniel had started refusing, and twenty minutes later, they were still talking about it.

"What I don't understand is why you don't want to go," Karl said after a moment of thinking. "School is always a lot of fun."

"It's a waste of time," Daniel snapped. "I'm not going to spend the greater part of my days in a classroom learning how to draw pictures and play games and—and—wasting my time! I can already read and write; I don't need to learn anything else!"

"What about history? We thought you liked history, Daniel."

"I like _my_ world's history." That wasn't entirely true. When he'd first arrived on Almadas, he'd wanted to learn as much as he could about the planet's history, but now, he was wishing he'd never heard of the place! He was in a nightmare, pure and simple. He was an adult trapped in a child's body, but he was being treated like a child!

His days had a pattern that grew more onerous as time went by. He was woken up in the morning by either Karl or Mara, and it was a rule that he have his room in order before he went downstairs for breakfast. They usually spent the mornings at home, doing household tasks or spending time together. Often Karl and Mara sent him outside, telling him, "Go play." Needless to say, he usually took a book with him and sat on the swing, reading. After lunch they insisted that Daniel try to take a rest (they learned not to call it a _nap_ the first time they mentioned it), and the most infuriating thing was that by then, he was usually ready for a nap! His smaller body needed a lot more sleep, and six to eight hours a night didn't cut it anymore. He needed at least twelve hours now, and a half-hour to hour nap in the afternoon. If he didn't get that much sleep the next day was incredibly foul, and if he missed his afternoon rest he spent the rest of the day feeling perfectly savage toward everyone and everything. Once he woke up from his rest they usually went somewhere, and Daniel suspected that they were trying to bond with him. There were museums, theaters, and other places where you could entertain yourself for a few hours, and most days they visited them. One evening they'd gone to an opera, and Daniel had been able to lose himself for a few precious hours in the music. He was brought back to earth rather unpleasantly when one of Karl's friends stopped by to meet their "son." Being patted on the head and being called a "handsome little thing" was very bothersome. They would have dinner at home, but Karl and Mara had told him that usually they liked to go out once a week to eat. At first, Daniel liked going out with them because there were other things outside the house they could focus their attention on instead of him (he was getting very tired of being the center of attention), but later on, it became apparent that he was going to get attention no matter where he went. He heard all about how adorable he was, how handsome, so well-mannered, and so sweet. His "parents" would be congratulated on doing such a fine job with their "son." Whenever Karl and Mara heard these compliments they would look proud and thank the person giving them. (By this point, Daniel had learned to ignore the comments and remain polite. There was nothing he could do about how other people reacted to him, but he could control how he responded.) Usually, Karl and Mara would tuck him in at bedtime after chatting with him for a few minutes, and the next morning the whole rigmarole would begin again.

As the days went by, Daniel's nerves began to fray. They were near snapping point that morning, and this mention of school was driving them closer and closer to breaking. He didn't intend to waste his days in school when he needed to be looking for the Gate! In all of the books in Karl and Mara's house, in all of the books in his room, not one of them could show him where the Gate was. The historical atlas didn't mention it, and the history books mentioned it but failed to give its location.

"Well, maybe you'll think of school in a better light later today," Karl said, ignoring Daniel's insistence that he wasn't going.

"Oh, and why would I do that?" Daniel said, being snarky and not caring.

"We're going to go out to lunch with your grandparents today, and then we're going to go school shopping."

Daniel put his head down on the table and sighed. "I don't suppose my telling you not to waste your money is going to do any good, is it?"

"Not really, no. Besides, it won't be us buying you things; it will be your grandparents. It's traditional for your grandparents to outfit you for school."

He would be wasting the money of senior citizens. Now he really felt bad.

--

"Colonel, it's been three weeks," General Hammond said.

"And Daniel's been missing for as long as three months before," Jack countered. "But he's always come back. We can't leave him there when we know where he is!"

"What if he wished to stay there?" the General asked.

"He would have told us or gotten a message to us somehow," Sam protested. "The fact that he hasn't tells us that he's being held there against his will."

"What purpose would these people have for doing that?" Hammond asked, feeling very worried about his best team. They were not taking any of this well at all.

"It's DANIEL!" burst Jack and Sam simultaneously.

"It is Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said calmly.

"Over the years, he's been married, engaged, addicted to a sarcophagus so he wouldn't leave--

"Taken prisoner—

"Adopted by I forget how many people, added to some guy's collection of rarities—

"Pumped for information, interrogated—

"Examined as a curiosity, prepared for sacrifice, sent to a planet's priesthood—

"Kidnapped for his knowledge of languages, taken for some queen's harem, mistaken for an elf—

"That was all of us, O'Neill," Teal'c reminded him.

"Well, Daniel fit the part!"

"I understand what you're saying," General Hammond broke in. "Dr. Jackson does tend to get into trouble on a regular basis, but we have no reason to believe that he is still on that planet. The people insist that he is no longer there, according to your reports."

"But we _know_ better, sir," Jack said. "Daniel's still on that planet, and the only reason he hasn't contacted us yet is because he hasn't been able to get to the Gate. The only reason he hasn't gotten to the Gate is because they are keeping him from it. Sir, I request permission for us to go back there and start demanding answers."

"I have a feeling that if they haven't told you by now, Colonel, then they're never going to," Hammond said quietly.

"We should go back and confront the people with the situation," Teal'c said. "We should tell them that we will not leave until we have Daniel Jackson."

"What if they don't have Dr. Jackson there?" the General wanted to know.

"Then we look like fools for a while!" Jack said. "But I think we all know that that's not the case. Daniel's _there._ Call it a gut instinct, a strong feeling, a hunch that's slowly driving me bananas, but he's _there_. I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I just gave up on him when I _know_ he's there."

"I received a memo from Washington, voicing concern that the three of you are going so often to this planet. After all, we have a trade agreement that is truly impressive—power cells, vehicle technology, and they're working with our tech people so we can have our own screens. Those alone can possibly save our whole planet. The president is saying that you should all be up for commendations, but he's concerned that all of you are, and I quote, 'unhealthily preoccupied with the possible chance Dr. Jackson may be a prisoner on Almadas.'"

Everyone was quiet, but Jack had a thoughtful look on his face as he looked at the memo in his CO's hands. "That would make a pretty nice paper airplane, sir."

"They're putting pressure on me to reassign the three of you to other missions and to give you a new fourth."

"I'll retire!" Jack immediately threatened. "And everybody in Washington knows that when Jack O'Neill threatens to retire, the planet becomes in grave danger!"

"I'll ask for a transfer!" Sam said quickly.

"I shall join Master Bra'tac."

Hammond felt a headache starting. He could remember his first commander and what he'd told him when a young George Hammond had asked about command. His CO had told him that being a CO was a lot like being a parent. Your "kids" could drive you absolutely nuts, but you loved 'em and looked out for them all the same, and you tried to help them when you could, especially when something was important to them. "I can't send you to Almadas anymore on official business, SG-1," Hammond said, sounding regretful. "However, you have a two-week leave coming up, beginning next Monday. I suggest the three of you use it to your best advantage." With that, he left, certain that his flagship team had understood just what he'd implied.

--

Daniel was certain that he wouldn't break any grandmotherly hearts if he left. The one grandmother kept telling him to stand up straight and smile, and the other one kept reminding him of his manners all through lunch. They saw a grandson as a little automaton that should behave exactly as they thought he should.

It took all of his self-control not to stab either of them with a fork.

The grandfathers were just as bad. The one kept fussing at him to keep out of puddles (it had rained earlier) for fear of his catching cold and the other kept giving him little orders that he felt safe in ignoring. Both sets of grandparents pretended to be all solicitous attention for their new "grandson," but Daniel heard them talking when they thought he wasn't listening. They had mentioned him being a credit to the family and wouldn't their neighbors be impressed that they had a little historian for a grandson! It might have sounded like grandparently bragging, but he knew it for what it was. He'd heard it before. He was as much status symbol as grandson.

Shopping was even worse. The grandmothers (he couldn't tell them apart) kept picking up the worst clothes and exclaiming, "Oh, this will look so cute on you!" even though Karl had told him he would have to wear a uniform for school. They got the uniforms—white shirts, brown pants, brown shoes, blue blazer and cap for cold weather—and exclaimed how cute he looked in them. Then they dragged him off to look at school supplies. The few things that looked familiar were the randoseru-style backpack, the bento-style lunchbox (were they channeling Japan?), and the hardcover notebooks and pencil case that looked like the ones he'd used at home. He was bought everything he could ever need for school, and everything he could possibly _want_ for school, if he were actually going. He had writing paper, notebooks, portfolios, pencils, pens, art supplies, and the textbooks he'd need. He was surprised that the families had to buy the textbooks for primary school, but then again, he saw the point once he got a good look at them. There was plenty of space on every page for notes. Interesting.

Once shopping was done, the grandparents took Daniel aside and told him that he could choose anything that he'd like to do.

"Anything?" Daniel said suspiciously.

"Anything at all," one of the grandfathers assured him. "Our treat."

Daniel thought about it. If he could, what he most wanted to do was be out in the middle of nowhere—nothing but him, nature, and the open sky. Silence and serenity. Would they go for that? "Could we go somewhere that's nowhere?"

Blank stares. "What do you mean?"

"Somewhere out in the middle of nowhere—no landscaping, no buildings, no trees or people, just us. Nothing planned or developed, just wild land. Is there anyplace like that here?"

"There are the plains," said one of the grandmothers. "The grasslands; but there's not really a way to get out into them without a more durable vehicle, Daniel."

"I don't need to be smack dab in the middle; I just want to see them," he pleaded. He had to know that there was some sort of place that _wasn't_ the town. He was starting to wonder if he'd dreamed the Gate and his life before. Everything seemed so…normal here. They were all acting as if he should never question his life as it was now. He had to see the plains to remember they were real. If he saw the plains and remembered they were real, then maybe the Gate and his life before would feel real. He would be able to hold onto hope a little longer.

"I don't see why we couldn't drive out to the edge of the plains and walk around a bit," one of the grandmothers said. "Karl, Mara, what do you think?"

Mara nodded, but Karl looked nervous. "Karres said that Daniel shouldn't go near the plains."

"Whyever not?"

Daniel thought furiously for a moment, then spoke. "I promise not to run away while we're out there," he said, looking hopefully up at Karl and giving him a trusting smile. "Please?"

Karl melted. Daniel could actually see it happening, and it was fascinating to watch. First, his eyes grew warmer, a smile started, and the man's entire posture changed. At that moment, Daniel knew he had him. "Well, we could go out there for a while, I suppose."

The car was actually large enough for all of them, so they piled in and began driving, and the grandparents kept Daniel at a run the whole way with questions about himself and his interests. He chattered about what he'd been reading in his books until they reached the plains, and then he got quiet. When he saw the plains, he realized he might see the Gate. There were hills, it was true, but it was open land, and if he got to the top of a hill there was no telling what he might see. As they walked, he stayed with his "family" and chatted with them, asking the name of plants and animals he saw and actually let himself have fun for a change. When he was certain that _they_ were certain he wasn't going to run, he suggested a race to the top of the nearest hill. Only Mara and Karl took him up on it, and they raced. It actually felt good to run, to let go of some of the tension he'd been carrying around. At the top of the hill he flopped down into the grass and just panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Having fun?" Karl asked, flopping down next to him.

"How can you tell?" Daniel gasped, taking deep breaths.

"You're smiling."

So that was why his face had been feeling so strange, he reflected. It had been a while since he'd smiled so much.

The grandparents plodded their way up to the top, grinning. "Quite a view up here!" one of the grandfathers said. "And look what I brought to help us enjoy it!"

Daniel looked, but he didn't understand what he was seeing. It was black, and shiny and…what _was_ that thing, anyway?"

"What's that?"

"A farviewer," the grandfather said, holding it out to him. "It helps you see far away."

A telescope! He was saying he had a telescope! With that, he might see—wait, he couldn't appear excited about this. If they suspected that he found out where the Gate was, he'd never see this place again. No, he had to be circumspect about this. He had to fool them, and the best way to do that was to pretend not to believe it would work, so Daniel shook his head. "You couldn't see anything with that."

The grandfather handed it to him. "Try. Look through that end there."

Daniel looked, and his heart started to pound. He could see for miles! He looked at the simple tube in his hands, his thoughts racing. "Wow!" he said, just to let them know how impressed he was.

"Told you. Stand up and look through it while turning around in a circle. You'll be amazed."

"Father—" Karl began, but Daniel was already on his feet and looking around. Every now and then he pointed the scope up into the sky to see the birds, and other times he pointed it at the ground to see the bugs. Karl calmed down, seeing how happy Daniel was and how he wasn't systematically looking for anything.

So Karl thought. As they headed back to the car and as Daniel fired off questions about the scope—would it work at night so they could see the stars? How far could it see?—no one realized that Daniel had seen the one thing he'd been hoping to see.

The Gate. His way home.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daniel was woken up at his normal time on the first day of school. He got up, washed, dressed in the uniform that Mara had set out for him, put his room in order, and headed down to breakfast. He was pretty certain that when he left the house he would be able to start walking towards the Gate, and he'd probably get there by the time they expected him to arrive home. Perfect.

"Ready for school?" Karl asked as he served up breakfast.

"I still don't know why the two of you are insisting I go," Daniel confessed as he started eating. (He'd need energy for his walk.) "It will be a waste of time."

"Somehow I think you'll think differently once we get there."

Daniel blinked and looked at Mara. "We?"

"Of course. We're going to take you there. You didn't think you'd need to find it on your own, did you?"

Damn. Of _course_ they'd take him on his first day.

Breakfast didn't take long, and soon they were all outside, walking with half a dozen other families, all going the same way. The school was a large building about eight blocks away and as they got closer Daniel began to get nervous. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that if the school was so close, he might have to pass Karl and Mara's when he walked to the Gate. What if they saw him? He had no idea what they would do all day while he was in school. Did they have jobs? Did they work at home? Hmm.

A man was standing at the front door as they approached, and he greeted Karl and Mara by name. "This is Daniel?" he asked, looking down at him.

"This is Daniel," Karl affirmed. "Daniel, this is the head teacher, Landan."

"Hi," Daniel said, trying to be polite.

"Hello, Daniel. Your room is the last one on the right on this floor. We're glad to have you with us."

Daniel tried to smile at him, but he felt more like kicking him. He sounded a little too condescending for his taste.

"Let's go, Daniel," Karl said, taking his hand and tugging at it.

"I have an idea," Daniel said as he followed Karl inside. "Since you're so eager, _you_ can go to school and I'll just go home. How's that?"

Both Karl and Mara laughed, finding it funny, but Daniel had been completely serious.

The classroom was large and sunny, with tables and chairs, shelves filled with books and materials, and cubbies filled with the students' belongings. There were lots of bright colors and displays that drew the eye. Up above the ceiling was painted like the night sky and just below it hung a model of the solar system that Almadas belonged to. There were maps and a globe on the far wall, and in one corner was a large, cushioned chair, perfect for a kid or two to curl up in, and there were books within easy reach. He couldn't imagine a more suitable and engaging classroom.

One of the adults in the room saw them and came over. "Hello, I'm Kris. Is this Daniel?"

"Yes, I'm Daniel," Daniel told him, getting a little tired of being referred to in the third person. Good lord, he was standing right there. They could just ask him!

Now he addressed him. Finally! "Well, Daniel, I'm Kris, and I'll be your teacher. Welcome. We're all happy to have you here."

Daniel gave him a little smile. He couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't sound terribly rude. "Hi."

"How about I show you around?" Kris suggested. He did just that, but he showed all three of them around, and all of the parents didn't seem like they were planning on leaving anytime soon. Did parents actually go to school with their kids? He didn't think he could stand it if Karl and Mara were with him all the time. He was a little tired of their never-ending attention.

He needn't have worried. Once he had his things in his cubby and Karl and Mara had been told what Daniel and his class would be studying that week, they gave him a hug goodbye and left along with all the other parents.

Daniel let himself daydream then, thinking about things that were important. Home. The Gate. SG-1.

"Daniel?"

He jumped and most of the class laughed. "What?"

"We're going around the room and introducing ourselves," Kris said. "Weren't you listening?"

"Oh. I'm Daniel."

"And?" Kris pressed.

"And?" Daniel repeated.

"Who are your parents?"

Daniel almost gave his real parents' names, but instead he gave them Karl and Mara's, and when asked what excited him most about school, he admitted that he wanted to read all he could. Kris seemed satisfied with that and continued on to the next student.

They spent the morning learning about their room and hearing what they would be learning together. Kris said that since they had the minds of adults they would be going into more detail in the curriculum, but everything they learned would be interesting. They would start every day with greeting (a sort of hello to the whole class, it seemed), and after that would come reciting their memory lesson. A memory lesson, Kris elaborated, was something they would be required to memorize the night before. Then, they would work on reading, writing, and mathematics before lunch. After lunch they would have recess, science, and historical studies. Twice a week they would have art and music, and they would end the day with a rest.

_Reminds me of public school,_ Daniel thought. One of the things that had bothered him the most about public school was the way every day was so regimented. (Thank God he'd been admitted to gifted schools as he'd gotten older!) You were hardly allowed any time to study stuff on your own in the majority of public schools. What if you were really interested in something and your school had the materials or facilities for you to study it? School officials wanted you to study the same thing as everyone else. Most of the time you had to fit your interests into the general curriculum, with only a few days' study time allotted to your favorite thing. Very frustrating. He had a strong feeling that would happen here.

"So, how many of you can already read?" Kris asked. "Let's see some hands."

To Daniel's surprise, three-fourths of the class raised hands. From what Karl and Mara had told him, people in the undeveloped lands did not usually learn to read, but a lot of people in this class already could. Perhaps their "parents" had taught them?

"Excellent! All right, those of you who raised your hands can choose a book from the shelves, and the rest of you join me on the rug in the center of the room so we can start learning how to read."

Daniel didn't need to be told twice to choose a book. He looked through them, hoping for an atlas that would tell him distances. He had to know how far it was from this town to the Gate. He looked through all of the books he could, but by the end of the reading period he hadn't found what he'd been looking for.

Being taught to write was surprising. Instead of just focusing on legibility, the instruction also focused on beauty. Here he was in the first grade learning calligraphy! Their writing books were filled with the alphabet and symbols, letter combinations, individual words, little sayings and proverbs, as well as what Daniel supposed could be quotes from literature and the One's scriptures. They first had to trace the words and then write them out on their own. At the same time, one could practice reading. For Daniel, the writing did not take long since he'd been practicing, and he didn't find the…he supposed it was cursive…as difficult as it would have been if he hadn't practiced. He had about ten spare minutes to look at the maps on the wall, hoping he would be able to learn something from them.

The math lesson wasn't what Daniel had been expecting. Instead of learning how to count, Kris gave them a lesson on the history of the numbers and how people on Almadas first learned to count. Only then did they start counting things, and they actually managed to cover place value up to the billions. Daniel spent a minute or so looking through the math book and realized that it was organized by concepts, mathematic history, and real-world applications. He recognized the Golden Ratio and the Pythagorean Theorem. This was in a first-grader's book?

Then he realized. They weren't actual first graders. They were first graders with adult minds that could comprehend more abstract concepts. The whole planet was maddening; they knew they were adults but treated them as children, making them go to school and have parents and---He stopped himself from thinking. If he kept thinking like that, he would only make himself angry and upset, and he didn't need that.

Mara had packed lunch for him that morning, and it was still good and hot. He had some kind of rice grain mixed with vegetables in a sauce, and in the other part of his box he had sandwiches. Included was a thermos with soup and a bottle of juice. Did Mara think he was in danger of starving during the day? It looked like it. He tried the rice dish and felt himself smile. It almost tasted like Sha're's cooking! _Almost._ After returning to Earth he'd had her recipes and had been able to reproduce them in his apartment kitchen, and what he had in front of him was almost as good as what Sha're had made for him. Homesickness for Abydos and Earth suddenly overwhelmed him, and he had to fight back tears.

_Don't panic, _he told himself. _You know where the Gate is, you can get there, and you can get home._

After lunch Kris led the entire class outside and into the _granddaddy_ of all playgrounds. This school playground made the one at the park look absolutely sick. There were swings, slides, a climbing wall, seesaws, tunnels and tubes to crawl around in, a multi-level castle, cargo nets for climbing, a merry-go-round better than the one at the park, ball courts, a sandbox…It was a perfect paradise for kids. Everyone else ran for the equipment, but Daniel found a bench and opened the geography book he'd brought along. The maps in it weren't too detailed, but it did mention how distances were measured here, so perhaps with its help he would be able to figure out the distance to the Gate.

"Daniel?"

He looked up and saw Kris standing next to him with a look of concern. "Hi."

"Don't you want to play?"

He shook his head. "Not really."

"Why not?"

"Don't feel like it."

"You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"Nope."

"Are you still hungry? I saw you didn't eat all your lunch."

"I'm fine. I just want to read."

Kris nodded. "When you finish your book you'll play?"

Daniel felt annoyance rise. "Is it _required_ I play? I don't want to play; I want to read. End of discussion."

"You'll feel better if you get some exercise," Kris suggested.

"I feel fine. Could I read now, please?"

Kris looked at him with an expression that Daniel couldn't read. "All right, then. I'll let you be."

"Thank you." It had only taken an _age_ to get Kris to agree to it. He curled up on the end of the bench and kept reading. By the end of recess he'd figured that they measured distance in arrons. They were equal to klicks, which was how the military measured things. A klick was one thousand meters or a kilometer, and he was used to counting in them, thanks to his years with the SGC. Thank goodness for small mercies. That would make his trip to the Gate much easier since he could figure the number of klicks to the Gate and compare it to how far he could walk without taking a rest. He knew he could manage five klicks at a shot over comparatively flat terrain, but that had been as an adult. How far would he be able to get when he was this small? As Kris called his class together and led them back inside Daniel thanked all of those training sessions with the rest of SG-1 that had toughened him up and taught him how to travel with the help of nothing more than his own two feet.

After everyone was back in the classroom they started science class, which was not what Daniel had been expecting. What they were to do, Kris explained, was to look through their science books and choose something that looked interesting to them, and that was what they would work on. Each student was expected to choose his or her own project, and none of them had to choose the same thing or work together. Daniel chose an experiment he could do that would leave him plenty of time for other things: plants. That first day all he had to do was plant a few seeds and water them. Kris handed him and another boy the materials they needed from the supply cabinet and ten minutes later Daniel's science work for the day was done and settled on the window sill where it would get plenty of sun. While Kris was busy with a group of three who were working on building a model of some sort, Daniel stood on a chair to study a map. The grandfather with the telescope had told him the distance it could see, and now he knew the way distances were measured. He managed to find the approximate location of where he'd been the day he'd seen the Gate and estimated the distance between there and the Gate. Uncertain, he worked out the calculation on a bit of paper and frowned at the result. He hadn't been wrong, even though he'd been hoping that he would be. He added the distance between the edge of the grasslands and the town and felt a headache begin. It was close to thirty-five kilometers from the town to the Gate. Would he be able to travel that distance in a day before anyone noticed he was missing? Probably not. That made him consider something else. Could he steal a car? How far would he be able to get before people realized a kid was driving it? Hmm.

The next lesson passed quickly since it was a repeat of the science lesson, only this time they looked through their history books to find what they wanted to study. He focused on the most ancient time possible, read the text in the book, took notes, and chose a project to work on from a list at the end of the reading selection. He had just finished when Kris told him that it was time for their rest.

"What rest?" Daniel said absently, putting away the materials he'd used.

"The rest we take every day," Kris reminded him. "Come on."

Kris led him over to the other side of the room, where everyone else was already bedded down on mats with pillows and blankets. Daniel, realizing that he was long overdue for his daily nap (he wished that he could still run on a few hours of sleep, the way he had before the procedure), went ahead and curled up on the only free mat and pulled the blanket around himself. He was tired, and he realized that he'd been feeling more irritable and tired as the afternoon progressed. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.

--

Jack parked his car and carried his duffel bag into the base, meeting up with Teal'c and Carter in her office. Both of them were packed and ready to go.

"So, how flattered was the Council when you told them about how much we'd just _love_ to spend some more time on Almadas?" he asked Sam as he set his bag down.

"Very flattered, sir. The head Elder turned a bright shade of pink when I told her how much we were looking forward to spending our leave there."

"And does anyone know where we're planning on going?" he asked Teal'c.

"All of the SGC staff in the control room swore they saw and heard nothing, O'Neill," Teal'c reported. "They will also know nothing when we dial Almadas and go there. They will have no idea why the Gate dialed by itself, nor who went through it or to where."

"Wonderful! How are we on supplies?"

"We each have two zats, fully charged and ready to go. Camp gear and rations just in case, tape and video recorders, emergency first aid kit, radios, GDOs, and enough of our personal stuff to make the Almadans think we're actually on vacation," Carter said, checking her bag.

"We've got our message?"

"Yes, O'Neill," Teal'c affirmed. "We must only leave it where it can be seen by Daniel Jackson."

"Which means that we'll leave it everywhere and hope that Daniel sees it," Jack added. "Great."

The message had been Jack's idea. They'd composed it in English and practically every other language that Daniel knew and Carter had printed out three reams of it. They were going to pretend that they were religious blessings that SG-1 wanted to leave on Almadas, blessings that were intended for good luck for their new ally and other such things. After all, Almadans couldn't read any of those languages, but they took religious matters seriously. SG-1 would be allowed to leave their "blessings" wherever they wished, and hopefully Daniel would see them and know they were there.

_Daniel, we're here on Almadas looking for you. Leave us a message when you see this that will tell us where you are, or do something that will draw our attention. Jack Sam Teal'c_

All of them were hoping that they would get a response to it, but failing that, they had cameras to record daily life on Almadas, and if there was anything suspicious going on, hopefully they would catch it. Any suspicious activity might lead them to Daniel.

"Is our cover story prepared, O'Neill?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack assured them. "I spent all of last night working on it. My cabin in Minnesota is stocked with food, some of our personals are out there, and to all intents and purposes, we are fishing, and we will be fishing for the next two weeks. Any and all possible neighbors or lost hikers will see three friends fishing—one will be Sam Carter, one will be Jack O'Neill, and the third one will be a guy named Murray. We are incommunicado—no phones or email--and the only way the SGC will be able to contact us is either by sky-writing or sending a helicopter."

"Who'd you get to stand in for us?" Sam couldn't help asking.

"I called in a couple of favors," Jack said. "They've been sworn to secrecy, and they wish us luck. Also, they'll never admit to anything should anyone try to interrogate them."

"Great. You know, if we get in trouble over this-"

"They know the risks and they're cool with them, Carter. Don't worry. How are we on time?"

"T minus five minutes and forty-three seconds, O'Neill."

"Let's hit the road, kids. We should be at the Gate by T-minus one minute and thirty."

As they moved through the SGC everyone they passed seemed to have become blind and deaf, even though they whispered "good luck" or "bring him home" every now and then. If any of the SGC staff were ever asked if they'd seen SG-1 leaving that morning, they would admit that they'd neither seen nor heard SG-1.

"Gotta love people," Jack said as they entered the control booth. Walter was already dialing the Gate and Jack entered his code. Thanks to Walter's and Carter's knowledge of the computer system, there would be no record of Jack's code or who had dialed the Gate that morning in the computer hard drive.

"Good luck, Colonel, Major, Teal'c," Walter said as the Gate engaged.

"Thanks, Walter. See you when we get back. Oh, by the way, you saw and heard nothing. We are figments of your imagination."

"No problem, sir. I'm daydreaming right now."

SG-1 hurried out of the booth and started up the ramp, but they almost froze in their tracks when they heard the General's irate voice coming from the direction of his office. "What the HELL is going on? Why is the Gate active? Who dialed?"

"Book!" Jack gasped and _ran_ the rest of the way. "If he doesn't see us leave, he can't get into trouble!"

Sam and Teal'c followed in his footsteps and they entered the event horizon just before the General arrived in the control booth.

"Sergeant?" Hammond looked ready to kill something (or maybe three someones), but the angry look faded as the Gate disengaged.

"Sir?"

"Everything all right?"

Now Walter was confused. "Sir?"

"Sergeant, I asked if everything was all right."

Walter caught on. "Just fine, sir."

"And the Gate dialing was a glitch?"

"Yes, sir, a computer error. I'll start working on it now."

"Thank you, Sergeant."

As Hammond left the booth, Walter reflected that Hammond was the best possible commander that the SGC could have, and he hoped that the man wouldn't retire anytime soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Smile!" Sam said as Jack and Teal'c stopped to have their picture taken in front of a fountain. "C'mon, guys, we're gonna show these things to everyone back home! At least _look_ like you're havin' fun!"

"You know me and vacations, Carter," Jack said, fixing a smile on his face. "They don't mix."

"And everyone at command thought that you needed one," she countered.

The whole charade of Jack as an unhappy vacationer was for their tour guide. The Council had thought it was a great idea that SG-1 was coming to their planet for vacation, so they had set them up with a guide who was going to travel about with them, showing them everything there was to see within driving distance. All of them were pretending that Jack had had to be forced to take a leave, but Teal'c and Sam were actually eager for the chance.

"Are you always so reluctant to have a good time, Colonel?" Lidan asked, highly amused.

"Always, Lidan," Jack assured him. "For me, a good time is getting work done. Going places, meeting people, doing things. I don't do well when I have nothing to do. As for my never taking a leave…when was the last time the General had a leave?"

Sam grinned. "The General does not do as much as you do, sir, and you know it."

"You and I both know that that isn't true, and you know that I know that everybody knows it, too," Jack told her.

By this point, Lidan was laughing out loud. "I am so glad the Council asked me to be your guide."

"Happy we can amuse you, Lidan," Jack said, taking out their "blessing" and affixing it to the fountain.

"Well, what would you like to do next?"

Jack looked thoughtful. Sam had a feeling that she knew what was going through his mind. He wanted to find Daniel. Instead he said, "What was that museum that the Council mentioned?"

"The history museum?" Lidan said thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Jack admitted. One could never be sure, but Daniel might be there. Jack had yet to find a history museum that Daniel didn't love visiting (and one that didn't bore _him_ to tears). "Could we maybe stop by? I'm still not sure about…a lot of things that you told us about your history."

"Oh, we could," Lidan promised. "We can go there now if you like, or we can go later after we have some lunch."

"Guys?" Jack said, turning to Sam and Teal'c. He wished they could just ditch the escort and look for Daniel without any of the subterfuge, but right now, it was their only chance of finding him.

"I'd say later," Sam said, catching on quickly. "I'm not really that hungry."

"Nor am I," Teal'c admitted. "I am anxious to learn more about the downfall of Unspeakable, O'Neill."

"All right, then, let's go," Lidan said, getting up from his seat. "I think you'll like the museum; it's really a lot of fun."

--

His plan would take timing and footwork, and a _whole_ lot of luck. He knew that St. Jude was the patron saint of desperate situations, so praying under his breath, he slipped his bag from his cubby and sneaked from the classroom. He was pretty good at sneaking, especially when Kris was busy helping someone else with a project. He made it out of the school building, down the street and away, heading for the grasslands and the waiting Gate. He crept past houses, through yards, and made his way down the road that would lead to the plains. Daniel paced himself, thankful that he had an entire school lunch and thermos of juice for provisions, as well as his blazer and hat to keep him from getting too chilly.

He passed more houses and as time passed he found himself thinking what he would be doing at school at that moment if he were there. That day they were supposed to have a lesson on Almadas society, and despite being marginally interested, Daniel hadn't hung around. Karl and Mara had been making him very worried over the past couple of days, and he decided that he had to sneak out of the school and get away. The previous night they'd been talking about him, and he'd felt no shame in eavesdropping. They felt that he wasn't "settled" and they were concerned that he would run away. Mara had mentioned that Karres might be able to help them, so why didn't they have him come to the house to see and talk to Daniel? Hearing that Karres was coming was Daniel's signal to get the heck out of that place and back home as quickly as he could. By the time Karl and Mara arrived at the school to pick him up, he could be dialing the Gate and going home.

Hearing a car coming, Daniel moved further onto the side of the road and kept his eyes open, making sure that he wasn't about to be hit. Hoping to allay anyone's suspicion at a kid by himself, Daniel waved, trying to look like a kid out on a parent-sanctioned adventure.

The driver waved back as the car began to slow down.

A moment later and Daniel was off the road completely, pelting off into open ground in a frantic bid to get away from the car. He could hear feet behind him, drawing closer and a voice shouting at him to stop. That voice made his legs pump in a frantic burst of speed. His head pounded, his side ached and he gasped for air, but he couldn't allow himself to be caught!

"I said stop!" Karres gasped, tackling him. "Now, what are you doing all the way out here by yourself, Daniel?"

In a split-second Daniel knew he had two choices: he could go catatonic or he could go ballistic. It didn't take him long to decide and Karres had to drag him back to the car in the middle of an all-out tantrum. He cried, kicked, screamed, and became a little hellion. Karres didn't have an easy drive back, since Daniel kept pulling on the door handles (damn doors that could power-lock!), jumping up on the back seat, and trying to distract him from driving.

He remembered a three-day seminar about kidnapping that he'd attended at the SGC. All of the senior staff had been required to attend it (especially SG-1) since there were people out there who knew about the Stargate and wanted to get their hands on someone who had an insider's knowledge of the SGC's discoveries and workings. There had been self-defense lessons and instructions on what to do if you were kidnapped. If you were in a car, you attracted attention so anyone who saw you would become suspicious, caused a distraction for your kidnapper so he couldn't drive, or tried to get the car to wreck somehow. All risky, but it was better than disappearing forever. He kept screaming in the back seat, making sure that Karres was good and distracted. As they drew into the town square, Daniel jumped up on the seat to draw attention, but he spotted something that drew his.

A sign on the fountain. A sign written in English and just about every language he spoke. He couldn't read all of the words, but three words at the bottom stood out as much as if they had been written in neon: JACK SAM TEAL'C.

Daniel filled his lungs with air and let loose with a bellow that could break eardrums before flinging himself into the front seat. A second later and he'd flung himself onto Karres' lap, driving his foot down onto the accelerator and yanking the wheel hard to the left.

A crash was the last thing he heard before passing out.

--

Tires squealing and the sound of an impact startled all of SG-1 and made them go tearing out of the museum. On the square were the remains of the fountain and the wreckage of a car, still steaming from the crash. All three of them hurried towards the wreck with Lidan hot on their heels.

"It's Karres!" Lidan said after getting a good look inside the car.

"Who?" Jack said, wrenching the door open.

"Karres," Lidan said, working on the other door. "He's a physician; one of the physicians who helped with the child crisis."

"Whoever he is, he's banged up a bit, but it's safe to move him," Sam reported after doing a quick field assessment from the passenger's side. "Hey, there's a kid in here! I can't get him…"

"Teal'c, get the good doctor out of the way and I'll get the kid," Jack ordered, and within two minutes both the doctor and the kid were out of the car.

While Carter saw to Karres, Jack took care of the kid. He was a little thing, cute as a baby button, and unconscious due to a large bump on his forehead that was rapidly turning purple. Other than a few bruises and scratches he didn't seem injured, thank goodness. He saw no signs of internal bleeding, neck or head injuries (other than the bump) and there was nothing really urgent that needed to be taken care of. He looked like some kid down for a nap.

"Ohhh," Karres groaned, waking up. "My head!"

"Physician Karres," Lidan said, moving to his side. "Are you all right?"

"I have an unspeakable headache. What happened?"

"Looks like you were in a wreck," Jack offered, happy to be King of the Obvious once again. "Do you remember anything?"

Karres glanced toward the kid, but he shook his head. "Not much. Just the fountain moving at us at speed way, way too fast."

"Still haven't lost your sense of humor," Lidan said, fighting down a chuckle. "He's almost a match for you, Colonel."

"Impossible," Jack said, taking the kid's pulse. "Is this your son, Doctor? Shouldn't he be in school?"

"Not my son," Karres said as a medical team arrived. "He's the son of friends. I was taking him home."

"Why was he in the front seat?" Lidan asked, sounding mystified. "You know that is against the law, Physician! It isn't safe!"

"He was being difficult," Karres admitted as he was helped onto a stretcher.

"Why wasn't he in a safety belt?" Jack demanded, ready to brain the man (not that he needed it) for his utter and inexcusable stupidity.

Karres glared at him. "As I said, he was being difficult."

Jack's bump of suspicion started to elbow him in the ribs. Something…wasn't right, here. He was getting the feeling that Karres was hiding something about this kid. Why? Who was this kid? Had he really been taking the kid home, or had he been planning on taking him somewhere else? What was going on?

The kid was loaded onto a stretcher and into the Almadan version of an ambulance while Karres was packed into another. Police arrived to take statements, and within an hour a clean-up crew was taking the wrecked car away and working on repairing the fountain so it would stop spraying water a la Old Faithful. The only thing left behind at the wreck was what had been in the car: an odd, blue leather backpack.

"What is that thing?" Jack asked, picking it up and looking inside. Inside it were books, a pencil case, a few folders, and a box and thermos.

"It's probably the boy's school bag," Lidan told him.

Jack turned it over in his hands, but Teal'c suddenly grabbed it and looked at it closely. "We should return it to the boy, O'Neill," Teal'c said, looking significantly into Jack's eyes. The expression on his face told Jack, _I've learned something_.

"We might see his parents," Lidan suggested. "We could give it to them to return to him."

"Well, I was wondering about your medical system," Sam said. "We could visit the hospital, return the bag, and leave a blessing for good health."

"You'll put the hospital out of business, Carter," Jack admonished. "Actually, I'd feel better if we could see the kid. Call it an internal worry, but I won't feel better about this whole situation until I see him again."

Lidan nodded. "I understand. You have children yourself, Colonel?"

Jack shrugged, not willing to go into it. "Once a dad, always a dad."

"Dad?" Lidan echoed, not understanding.

"It's one of our words for 'father,'" Carter explained.

"Oh. Well, if you really wish to go to the hospital and see the boy, I suppose I can take you," Lidan said, sounding thoughtful. "We can go anytime you like."

"How about now?" Jack suggested.

"All right; I'll get the car. Wait here."

As soon as Lidan was gone, Jack and Sam turned to Teal'c. For an answer, Teal'c pointed to some writing on the flap of the bag. "I have been studying their writing. This name is 'Daniel.'"

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, feeling her heart beginning to pound.

"Yes, Major Carter."

"Good," Jack said. "Can't wait to question that doctor."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Daniel lay in his hospital bed with his eyes closed, wishing he could go to sleep and not wake up. The past three days had been pure _hell_ and he knew that it was only going to get worse. After the wreck he'd woken up in the same hospital he'd been in before, except this time he was in a private room with a locked door. Karres, despite the fact that he'd been in the same wreck, was up and about and trying to "help" Daniel through his "breakdown."

That was what he'd told the nurses who took care of Daniel. He'd had a breakdown of some kind and he was here in the hospital to recuperate. What the nurses didn't know was that the "treatment" Daniel was receiving was nothing short of attempted brainwashing. There had been a seminar on brainwashing and indoctrination at the SGC after the kidnapping seminar, and Daniel thanked God that he'd attended both. Karres kept after him all the time, badgering him with words and allowing him very little time to rest, physically or mentally. All day and for most of the night Karres was there, telling Daniel over and over again how thankful he should be for Karl and Mara, how they were his parents now, how guilty he should feel after all they had done for him, and how he was never going home. His home was Almadas now, and he was the son of Karl and Mara. They loved him very much, and they were going to raise him. He should forget about his friends and the planet he'd come from. After all, they had left him. They had left him! They didn't care about him! Would they leave someone behind if they truly cared for him? Of course not! It would be better for him to forget everything that had happened to him before arriving on Almadas. He was the son of Karl and Mara, and they loved him very much, and he was going to grow up on Almadas. He had been left on Almadas—_left behind by his friends_—and now, to his great fortune, he was the son of Karl and Mara.

Over and over again Daniel heard the same things. Over and over again he would break down in tears, wishing that he could get away from Karres and his relentless barrage of words. If it hadn't been for his knowledge of brainwashing, it was likely that he would have given in and given up, accepting what Karres told him. Brainwashers and people in cults indoctrinated people to new ways of thinking by bombarding them with words, allowing them no time to think or reflect, and by keeping them physically and mentally exhausted by scanting them on food and sleep. Daniel knew he was only getting about four hours of sleep a night, if that, and his meals were always very light. He felt tired all the time, and most of his waking hours were experienced through a haze. Now, alone for the first time in ages, he could think before settling down for a rest. Karres had been called away, and he was free to rest as much as he could before the bastard came back.

He knew that he wasn't going to have another chance to get away. He would be watched too closely after this. He would never be able to slip away. There would always be someone with him, and with the help of a doctor, they could start drugging him if they wanted. They would probably give him sleeping pills every night to make sure he stayed in bed, and as for the days, well, the sleeping pills would keep him groggy enough so he wouldn't be able to plan a way to leave.

Bleak, heavy despair settled over him, and he felt tears leak out of his eyes and make trails down his face and wet the hair at his temples. Beyond that, he couldn't move or make a sound. He felt paralyzed by sadness and a large part of him didn't want to move ever again. What was the point of ever moving and getting up? Doing so would only bring Karres out of the background to pounce on him again with his endless words, words, and words.

Thoughts of what would happen when he finally got up made more tears come, and so many came that it felt as if he had a small river coming out of each eye. Hot, heavy tears soaked his temples, and it seemed each tear weighed a hundred pounds. He wished the tears could pull him down, down, and down, so far down into the ground that he would never be found.

Daniel's despair deepened as he heard the door unlock and footsteps approach his bed.

"At least they're finally letting us see him!" someone said.

Fingers touched his face, wiping away tears.

"He's crying in his sleep," a soft voice said, sounding sad. "Sir, are you sure this is Daniel?"

"There's no way he could be anyone else, Carter," another voice said. "Look at him. Add twenty years, and you'd have Daniel."

"I believe he is Daniel Jackson," a deeper voice affirmed.

The voices sounded familiar. Why was that?

"We're not leaving here without him," the second voice said. "We're going, and he's going with us."

_Jack._ He knew that voice. It was Jack. Jack, who had been his friend for almost as long as he'd been at the SGC. It had been Jack who had been with him through good times and bad. Hearing that voice brought back a wave of memories that were so strong and clear that it was like living them again.

…Jack, congratulating him on his marriage…

…Jack, telling him that they would find Sha're and Skaara…

…Jack, having him over for the weekend after they left Nem's world and sitting up with him when he had nightmares…

…Jack, keeping him company after Hathor's defeat and departure, telling him that nothing that had happened that day had been his fault…

…Jack, staying with him while he'd been throwing off the sarcophagus addiction…

Jack, by his side through countless hardships and trials, joys and successes. The man he trusted most, even over Sam and Teal'c and General Hammond, and now, against all odds, despite the fact that it was _impossible_, he was here.

With Herculean effort, Daniel forced his eyes open. The sight of his three friends gathered around his bed gave him hope as nothing else could. Sam and Teal'c were on his left, and on his right was Jack, smiling. "Hey, Daniel."

Daniel felt his neck creak as he turned his head to look at Jack. "Hi. Are you guys real? I'm not dreaming?"

Jack ruffled his hair. "Does that feel real, Danny-boy?"

"I could be dreaming."

Sam smiled. "Daniel, tell us your iris code," she suggested.

Daniel felt himself smile. Good old Sam, always making sure of things. He rattled off the string of numbers, and Sam hugged him. "It's him, sir."

"I already knew that, Carter, but it's nice to know you remembered your iris code, Daniel. What happened to you? How'd you end up like this?"

"Long story," Daniel answered. "Get me out of here? Please?"

"Is there a reason why we should get out of here?"

"Yes," Daniel gasped, managing to sit up. He was so tired! So very tired! If he couldn't convince them…

"Carter, our stuff is in the van, right?"

"All of it, sir," she said. Knowing that they wouldn't be able to leave any of their tech on Almadas, she'd packed everything and made certain that it went everywhere with them.

"And Lidan?"

Teal'c went to the door and looked out. "He is still flirting with that nurse, O'Neill."

Jack scooped up Daniel and headed to the door. "All right, campers. Let's get the hell out of here."

How they managed to sneak out of the hospital without being seen Daniel ascribed to Jack's black ops training. As soon as they were outside Daniel felt more tears start—the sun and wind felt so wonderful on his face! All of them piled into a van and Jack pulled out the keys and started the engine. "I wonder if Lidan knows I took these."

"Most likely not," Sam chuckled as they pulled out of the parking lot. "Where are we headed now?"

"Do you have to ask?" Jack said, speeding up a bit. "We're heading straight for the Gate. No way in _hell_ we're staying here any longer."

"Just making sure."

Jack glanced at Daniel in the rearview mirror. "Daniel? How you doing?"

Daniel smiled. "I'm fine, now that we're leaving. How did you find me?"

"We found your bag after the crash, and Teal'c was able to read your name. God Himself must have wanted us to find you, since you chose that moment to wreck the car just as we were inside the museum looking for you. We're here pretending to be on vacation, but really, we were looking for you. They kept hedging us visiting you, but since we're honored guests, they finally let us see you today. What the hell did they do to you?"

"It's the result of a medical procedure," Daniel explained, closing his eyes. "They can't have children anymore, but their religion requires them to raise a child in order to get into Heaven. At least, that's the impression I've gotten. They've been using adults from the less-developed parts of the planet, but not all of them can have the procedure done. It isn't effective, or something. However, it _was_ effective for me. Karres was the one who did it. He's one of the doctors who developed the procedure."

"Rat bastard," Jack swore. "Well, that explains what Lidan meant by the 'child crisis.'"

"Indeed," Teal'c said, sounding very disturbed by this. "Have you been at the hospital this whole time, Daniel Jackson?"

"No, I was adopted out to a couple named Karl and Mara. They were all right most of the time, but I was getting the feeling that I was as much trophy as child. I was introduced to all their friends one morning, and I kept hearing what a credit I was to them."

Jack muttered something that Daniel didn't hear, but he was sure that most of it was very strong language.

"After the wreck, Karres kept me at the hospital. He's been trying to convince me that Karl and Mara are my parents."

Jack glanced at him again in the rearview mirror. "What was he really doing, Daniel?"

Daniel gave a weak little laugh. "Remember that seminar on brainwashing and indoctrination, Jack?"

The car swerved slightly, and Sam turned in her seat and put her arms around Daniel. He could hear her swearing and threatening Karres' life, but it was Jack's string of profanity that was really memorable. He wished he had a pad and pencil so he could take notes for future use. Teal'c said something in Jaffa that convinced Daniel that Karres never _ever_ wanted to meet Teal'c again. It was very likely he wouldn't survive the encounter.

To his vast surprise, he actually fell asleep after that. Well, it wasn't really reasonable he should be surprised since he'd been short of sleep lately, but he'd been sure that he wouldn't sleep until he was safely back at the SGC. What woke him was a sudden change in terrain as the van went off-road and began driving over the plains.

"How close are we to the Gate, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as Daniel sat up and looked around.

"If we keep going at this speed, we'll probably be there in forty-five minutes, an hour if the terrain worsens. Why?"

"We are being pursued."

Panic nearly overwhelmed Daniel. "What are we going to do? What if they catch up to us?"

"They're not going to do a thing, Daniel," Jack assured him. "I won't let them. We've got zats, and if they try to stop us I won't think twice about zatting them more than once. Got me? We're leaving, and you're leaving with us, okay?"

"Okay."

The next hour passed quickly, and Jack squealed to a stop as they reached the Gate. Teal'c and Sam had already grabbed their duffel bags and they leapt out of the car together. "Carter, start dialing! Teal'c, cover her! C'mon, Daniel," Jack said, picking him up along with a zat. "Let's go."

"_Stop_, Colonel!" Karres shouting. "Where are you going?"

Jack raised his zat, aiming it at Karres and two people he was certain were Karl and Mara. "We're going home, and Daniel's coming with us. Just so you know, this weapon can kill with two shots, and it can hit more than one person with a shot. One shot alone is very painful. Now that you know all this, do you really want to try stopping us?"

"If you want take him with you, you must get permission from the Council," Karres persisted.

"You and I both know that we don't have to do any such thing," Jack snapped. "The Council lied to us more than once about Daniel being here."

The Gate whooshed into life.

"He is still our son!" Karl said. "The One has sent him to us!"

Daniel fastened his arms in a stranglehold around Jack's ribs, and Jack made a decision. "All right, then," Jack said. "Carter, contact base. Tell them we're bringing Daniel and three others with us."

"Sir?"

"We're going to let them talk to _our_ version of a Council," Jack answered, keeping the zat trained on Karres, Karl and Mara. "The one named Hammond."

"Yes, sir!"

"You mean, go through the Ring?" Mara gasped, staring at the surface of the wormhole.

"Well, you sure as hell can't drive there," Jack said, waving them toward the Gate with his zat. "Carter, you go first, Teal'c, help me make sure they go through. Daniel will be coming with me."

"Yes, sir. See you on Earth."

--

"Welcome back, SG-1," the General said as the Gate shut down and his flagship team headed down the ramp toward him. "I see we have guests. Where is Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel turned in Jack's arms. "Hi, General."

Hammond stared and actually reached out and brushed Daniel's hair away from his face. "Dr. Jackson?"

"It's a long story," Daniel said, still holding on to Jack.

"And who are our guests?" Hammond said, fighting hard not to stare at Daniel.

"This is the doctor who did this to Daniel and the parents who adopted him," Jack introduced, not bothering with names. "I suggest they be put in a holding cell and given their physicals there while we go to the infirmary. I don't want them around Daniel."

"I agree," Hammond said, taking Jack's silent cue to convince the three they were in trouble about what had happened to Daniel. On a deep level, Hammond agreed with him. How they could do such a thing to anyone was beyond him, but it had happened, so they had to find some way to either fix it or deal with it.

"Holding cell?" the doctor said, sounding offended. "You're treating us like criminals?"

"Let me see," Jack said as SFs arrived in the Gate room. "Kidnapping, imprisonment, bodily harm and mental anguish…I could go on all day! Damn straight we're treating you as criminals!"

Hammond sensed that Jack was about to start bellowing at the three off-worlders, so he stepped in and forestalled the inevitable tidal wave of words. "Airmen, please escort these three to a holding cell, and SG-1, report to the infirmary. Please ask Dr. Frasier to send a medical team to give these three their physicals. I'll join you in the infirmary once your physicals are complete."

"Yes, sir," Jack said as the SFs led Karres, Karl, and Mara away. "Thank you, sir. You rock, sir."

"That will do, Colonel. Report to the infirmary."

--

Four physicals later, Daniel was sacked out in bed, wearing a set of very tiny scrubs. He was curled on his side, and Jack was still holding his hand. Janet stopped by to see how they were doing.

"He's dead asleep and he still won't let go of me," Jack said quietly. "I hope he wakes up before I have to go to the bathroom."

Janet chuckled. "I'm sure he'll wake up before that becomes an issue, Colonel."

"He'd better," Jack said, looking down at Daniel. "I asked him what it was they'd done to him, besides the obvious, I mean. He was really scared when we finally got to him. He mentioned that seminar on brainwashing and indoctrination."

"My God," Janet said, looking concernedly at Daniel. "Do you think they actually did that? Tried to brainwash him?"

"I'm certain of it. Even asleep, he looks strained."

Janet looked at him carefully. "That he does. Should I put in a call to Mackenzie?"

"Not yet," Jack suggested. "Let's see how Daniel is when he wakes up. Mackenzie may not be necessary."

"All right," Janet said. "But if anything happens, we're calling him."

"I'm not going to argue about it," Jack said, covering Daniel with an extra blanket when he shivered. "I'm just saying that Daniel doesn't do his best with Mackenzie."

Janet nodded, remembering. Daniel seemed to get even more nervous when Mackenzie was around, but he was completely at ease with Jack. "He does better with you. You'll stay with him, just in case?"

"If you'll switch places with me for five minutes while I go to the bathroom and grab some stuff. I'm not planning on going anywhere soon."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jack was certain that Daniel had been abused in a pretty sadistic way on Almadas, and the very thought of it made him want to run down to that holding cell and start perpetrating some abuse of his own. To start with, it was the way Daniel was always so jumpy. He'd flinch if someone would talk a little loudly. If someone shouted, he'd bury his head in his hands, often pressing them over his ears as if to keep the sound out. When it came time for him to debrief to General Hammond, he broke down in tears more than once. Because of Daniel's fragility, they took the debriefing very slowly, and by bits and pieces they'd managed to learn what had happened to him. He'd arrived on Almadas, met Maykell, and was taken to the town to have dinner with the Council, Maykell, and Maykell's men. Then came that wretched _cabas_ drink, waking up in the hospital, undergoing physical therapy, and then being adopted out to Karl and Mara. While he wasn't explicit with the details about his time with them, more than one person could tell that he'd been very stressed out while he'd been there.

The worst thing, the thing that made Jack ready to _kill_ the Almadans, was the fact that Daniel began to have nightmares when he slept, which was much of the time. He seemed exhausted all of the time, and Janet insisted that he be allowed to sleep as much as he wanted. The only times she insisted he be up was to walk and stretch a little, to wash and change, and to eat. The commissary, elated to have Daniel back, made sure that all of his favorite dishes and snacks were sent up to the infirmary on a regular basis, but he didn't have much appetite. Most of the time he would eat about five mouthfuls before going back to sleep, and everyone found that very worrying.

It was General Hammond who initially questioned the Almadans. Once Daniel had been settled in the infirmary and was sleeping, Hammond went to talk to these people. He didn't understand why they would…shrink…a fully-grown man, nor did he understand why they kept insisting that Daniel was their son. He didn't understand any of it. (If he listened to Colonel O'Neill's suggestions, these people would be hung, drawn, and quartered before being burned at the stake.)

What was most perplexing was the fact that they denied abusing Dr. Jackson. He pointed out the fact that Daniel's behavior indicated that he'd been abused, but all three of them insisted that nothing of the kind had happened. Dr. Mackenzie, after observing security videos of the infirmary and seeing the nightmares that Daniel had had, corroborated what General Hammond had told them. Once again, they denied that it had ever happened. Frustrated, Hammond returned to his office to regroup. To his great chagrin, Jack was waiting for him.

"Hi, General," Jack said as he walked in.

"Hello, Colonel."

"How are the Almadans?"

"They're fine. Nervous, furious at being held, but they're fine, despite rumors that there's a money pool on how long it will take before you kill them on your own."

"Yeah, well, that pool's not so foolish," Jack admitted. "Every nightmare Daniel has pushes me a little closer to the so-called edge. I've seen the tapes of your visits with them, and I can't believe they're saying that they didn't hurt Daniel. A guy doesn't have nightmares like that without having something truly awful happen to him. I know that for a fact."

Unspoken was both men's knowledge that Colonel O'Neill had been in black ops and had even spent time in an Iraqi prison.

"Dr. Jackson is very reluctant to even speak about what happened to him," General Hammond reminded him.

"Yeah. He did mention, though, that little seminar on brainwashing and indoctrination he attended a while back."

"They were trying to brainwash him?"

"I don't doubt it," Jack assured him. "Not for an instant. I don't know if we should actually have him have sessions with Mackenzie or not, but I do know that he's terrified the Almadans are going to get out of their cell, come after him, and take him back through the Gate. He hasn't said so, not while he was awake, anyway, but I can tell that's what he's thinking."

"Not while he's awake?"

"He's been talking in his sleep, and when he wakes up with a nightmare he screams that they're gonna take him."

"Does that happen every time?" Hammond asked, surprised.

"Every time."

Jack could see General Hammond thinking. "Colonel, I have a feeling that there's something on your mind that you haven't brought up yet."

"Yep."

"Care to share what it is?"

Jack put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "Daniel's on pins and needles. He's a walking bundle of nerves. Use whatever cliché you want, but I have a feeling that he's not going to relax unless he's off the base."

George felt a smile starting. "What are you suggesting, Colonel?"

"Let me take him home with me tonight and bring him back Monday. The Almadans can wait a couple days. Daniel will be able to chill out at my place and recuperate a bit. Like you once said, sir, I'm the closest thing he's got to a family. Who's he going to turn to to help him through this?"

Hammond nodded. "And he doesn't like being in the infirmary, despite being friends with Dr. Frasier and most of the staff."

"Is that a yes?" Jack said, sitting up and looking closely at Hammond's expression.

"It's a yes, Colonel," Hammond assured him. "Take him home, feed him, get him to relax, and bring him back more like his old self, all right?"

Jack stood and saluted. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Dismissed, Colonel."

--

"How long do you think they'll keep us?" Mara asked that evening.

"I have no idea," Karres admitted. "They may decide to let us go, but then again…."

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Karl muttered.

"I think so."

"I just wish they'd let us see him," Mara said, fighting tears as she sat down on one of the beds. "Is he all right? Is he afraid? Is he eating? Does he need anything?"

"According to that general, he doesn't want to see us. He's afraid of us," Karl said, still sounding as if he couldn't believe it. "Why does this general keep saying that Daniel's been abused? We've never struck him! Never! Not once!"

"Perhaps they have a different concept of abuse?" Mara suggested. "Perhaps what was done to him counts as abuse here."

"Ridiculous!" Karres snapped. "He was done a _favor_. He had a chance to be young again! Who wouldn't want a chance like that?"

"Apparently, Daniel didn't," Karl said, sighing.

All of them were nervous. They'd been brought to the cell, given physicals by some medical staff, and left alone for hours. By the end of that stretch of time, they were too exhausted by nerves to think about much else. General Hammond arrived soon after they had finished a meal (they had no way of knowing what time it was in this place) and sat down with them at the table to talk. The first thing out of Mara's mouth had been, "How is Daniel?"

"Dr. Jackson is in our infirmary at the moment, and he is sleeping," General Hammond had said. "However, we have received his report about what happened to him on Almadas, but I would also like to hear what you have to tell me."

So they told him. Karres told of being contacted by the Council, who'd said that they had a candidate for the procedure. Karres went to the Council Hall and tested Daniel there for the viability of the procedure and found him to be the perfect candidate. He took Daniel to the hospital, performed the procedure, and placed him in a ward with nine others like him for the requisite physical therapy and recuperation. Once Daniel had been sufficiently recovered, he'd been placed with Karl and Mara.

Karl and Mara described taking Daniel home, taking him shopping, on outings, introducing him to his grandparents, and then taking him to school.

"Did he ever have nightmares?" the General asked.

"Not that we know of," Karl admitted. "Why?"

"Just wondering," Hammond told them. "If Daniel did something wrong, how was he punished?"

"He never did anything wrong," Mara said firmly. "Well, he left his bedroom a little messy once, but he put it right when we asked him to. We never had to punish him."

"Dr. Karres? Was Daniel ever punished at the hospital?"

"Of course not."

General Hammond appeared to think about this. "Thank you for what you've told me. Due to certain security procedures, you will be kept in this room. Meals and fresh clothing will be brought every day. I will be back later to talk with you again."

It seemed the three Almadans had to be content with that.

The General did come back later, and with him came a man named Dr. Mackenzie. The man was a specialist in mental health, it seemed, but they weren't happy to hear what he had to say. How dare the man say that Daniel had been abused! They had _never_ harmed Daniel, not once in all his time on Almadas! They'd only wanted what was best for Daniel! Certainly that meant that he hadn't been abused!

So the General's visits continued up to the present. It didn't look as if they were going to be let go anytime soon.

--

Jack found Daniel where he'd been for the last few days: the infirmary. He was lying in bed, staring listlessly at yet another snack the commissary had sent up for him and looking as dejected as Jack had ever seen him look.

"Hey, Danny boy," Jack said, plopping into a chair next to the bed. "Howya doin'?"

"I'm okay," Daniel said, not sounding okay. "You just missed Teal'c. He played chess with me this morning."

"Ah, well, I'll catch him later. It's you I came to see."

"What for?"

"I know a certain archeologist and best bud who has his name all over pizza, a couple of DVDs, and the guest room at my place this weekend," Jack said, grinning. "The general's already said yes, so it's no use refusing."

Jack's little speech actually won a short chuckle from Daniel. "Has Janet already said yes? She says she won't release me until I put on a little weight."

"You'll do that this weekend, trust me. We're going to pig out on junk food and laze about, watching TV and reading comics and being stupid. You'll love it."

"Are we?" Daniel said, starting to smile. He still looked tired, and a large part of his expression told Jack that he didn't think it would happen.

"Yep. I'm going to go get you some clothes, and then we'll be going. Think about the type of junk food you'd like, okay? I'll be right back."

"What do I do if Janet comes?"

Jack paused to think about it. "Pretend to be asleep. Even before all this crap happened to you, every single nurse on this base thought you looked cute asleep."

Daniel actually laughed.

It took Jack all of five minutes to find some clothes in the base exchange and it took only five more minutes to take them back to the infirmary. He brought them to Daniel, pulled the curtains closed around the bed, and waited for him to get dressed. Janet, seeing that something was going on in her infirmary, came out of her office. "What's all this?"

"Daniel's coming home with me for the weekend, and before you say _anything_, General Hammond's already given the okay."

Janet headed for the phone, called Hammond, and asked for an explanation as to why her orders as chief medical officer had been circumvented.

"_I think it will be beneficial for Dr. Jackson to have a little time off-base,"_ he said over the phone. _"You have to admit, Doctor, that he hasn't been doing well. That is no reflection on your care of him, but sometimes a man needs more than pills and the attention of nurses, Doctor."_

"Thank you, sir," Janet said, feeling herself agree with him whole-heartedly. "I will expect to see him again first thing Monday morning."

"_Let the colonel know."_

"I will, sir," she assured him before hanging up and heading back out to see the colonel and Daniel. "First thing Monday morning, I want him back here, got it, Colonel?"

"Yep, gotcha, Doc," Jack assured her as Daniel finished tying his shoes. "Ready to get outta here, Daniel?"

"Yes," Daniel said, pulling on his jacket. "See you Monday, Janet."

Janet smiled, watching the two of them leave. If she didn't know better, she would have said that they were father and son, but she knew that was preposterous. They were only two good friends, and one of them was trapped in a child's body. Sighing, Janet returned to her office to finish her paperwork, reflecting that Jack and Daniel were fortunate in the fact that they were friends. It was rare that two people found such friends, and she was thankful that they'd found one another.


	12. Chapter 12

After springing Daniel from the infirmary, Jack took him up to the surface and to his car, where both of them realized that Daniel had to be helped up into his seat. Once he was safely buckled in, they pulled out, heading for town. Daniel stared out the window as if he couldn't believe that he was seeing Earth again, and Jack sensed depression descending on his friend. Before it could get a good hold on him, Jack decided a little intervention was in order.

"So, give any thought about what kind of junk food you'd like?"

That actually won a smile from Daniel. "I don't need junk food, Jack."

"I'd say you do," Jack countered. "We're going to have a ton of it this weekend, so you'd better start choosing what you'd like. No sense in getting something you won't like."

"Janet wants me to put on weight, not ingest toxic chemicals."

"The toxic chemicals will do the same thing," Jack pointed out. "Besides, they taste good."

Jack pulled into a supermarket parking lot and together they headed inside, snagging a cart that was just inside the entrance. To Daniel's intense gratitude, Jack didn't lift him up into the cart's seat but instead let him walk alongside. Jack headed straight for the junk food aisle and stood there, looking around. "Any requests? Or should I just start emptying the shelves?"

"You are serious, aren't you?" Daniel said, surprised.

"I'm deadly serious. Let's stock up."

An hour later, they left the store with chips of all kinds, cheese curls, flavored popcorns, sodas, snack cakes, frozen pizza bites, cookies, pretzels, dip, and every type of soft drink known to man. Jack loaded up the car, helped Daniel into his seat, and headed home. As promised, they ordered pizza for dinner that night, enjoying it in front of the television and watching Daniel's favorite movies. They had snack cakes, cookies, and sodas for dessert, and after the last movie for that night was over, they talked.

"What is it you haven't told General Hammond?" Jack asked as Daniel settled himself on the couch.

Daniel took a deep breath, reminding himself that eventually Jack would try to get him to talk about what had happened to him. "Nothing really important."

"Daniel?"

"Jack?"

"You can't keep it hidden forever."

That one sentence made Daniel realize that Jack knew how he felt. His experiences in Special Ops almost made sure of that. Taking another deep breath, Daniel began.

"One of the worst parts was not knowing if I was going to get home," he began. "The absolute worst part was blaming myself."

"Blaming yourself?"

Daniel shook his head, trying to get the words out. Jack left his chair, disappeared into the kitchen, and returned with a full glass of soda. Thankfully, Daniel took a deep drink but nearly choked at the clear presence of alcohol. "Jack, what's this?"

"There are times that call for alcohol, and this is one of them."

"Jack, look at me! You can't give me alcohol!"

"I just did!" Jack said. "Trust me. There are some things you can't say without a little alcohol to help, especially if you've just been through something big. Don't worry, it's three parts soda to one part beer. You won't get drunk, just nicely…blurred."

"If Janet ever finds out…"

"She won't," Jack assured him.

"It's not me I'm worried about," Daniel told him. "She'll kill you if she ever found out you did this."

"You're the only one who could tell her."

Daniel didn't answer, but he took another sip of his drink. Due to his smaller size, the alcohol relaxed him faster than it would have before that wretched procedure, and he found himself able to talk. He described everything that had happened to him. He covered the hospital, meeting Karl and Mara, meeting his grandparents, going to school, trying to escape, and then being taken back to the hospital. By his third glass of soda and beer, he was able to talk about his feelings. "The worst part was questioning myself all the time. I kept asking myself if I was doing everything I could to get home."

"Why were you asking yourself that?"

"I think part of me didn't think that I wanted to get home."

Jack topped off his glass with soda, but he didn't say anything. He simply looked at Daniel, assuring him without words that he was listening.

"You know, growing up in foster care…I wanted my life to be settled. There were some foster parents that I would have liked to adopt me, but they didn't, and the people who did want to adopt me…well, I didn't like them. The less said about them, the better. At first, I kind of liked Karl and Mara. They were as honest with me as I was with them. They let me know that they liked me, despite the fact that I told them I wasn't going to stay. They had a nice room prepared for me, fixed good food, bought me what I needed, and made me feel welcome."

"So all that welcome made part of you want to stay," Jack said, understanding Daniel's predicament. "After a lifetime in foster care, you wanted a family again."

"Can you blame me?"

"Not in the slightest. But you said 'at first.'"

"They turned out a lot like the worst foster parents I'd ever had. Those two—my foster parents—never abused me physically, but they abused me mentally. They put a lot of pressure on me as a kid, and when I entered college, I made sure I never had to go back to them. Finding out that Karl and Mara were a lot like them…"

"How'd you find that out?"

"Little things."

"And finding out they were like those foster parents…"

"I felt as if I were trapped with them again. Psychologists always have this debate—which is worse? Physical torture or mental torture? Right now, I'm willing to say that mental torture is worse. After a while, you stop feeling physical pain because your body's so used to it. Mental torture is another story."

Jack looked at Daniel and studied him. "I'm thinking they don't even realize what they did to you, and somehow, that makes it worse. They didn't realize how you felt."

"That's part of it."

"What's the other part?"

Daniel emptied his glass, and Jack filled it again. "The other part is that they just handed me over to Karres after I tried to run. I don't know if they knew what he was going to do to me or not, but the fact that they let him take me to the hospital…"

Daniel didn't have to say anything else. Jack understood completely.

"Listen, this is going to sound very, very stupid, and I can't believe I'm about to ask this," Daniel said, surprising Jack. "But do you think you could—well, I think I'd feel better if—oh, hell. Would it bother you if you just…held me…for a while?"

Jack knew that it had cost Daniel something to ask that. Also, he knew that Daniel felt pretty pathetic about it, so he had to handle it in a way that did not make it seem more pathetic to Daniel. The best way to do that, Jack reasoned, was to treat it matter-of-factly. "Like I usually do when something's too much? No problem."

"Like you usually do?" Daniel echoed, surprised. He hadn't expected this from Jack.

"Yeah," Jack said, putting his arms around his friend and pulling him into a hug. "After Sha're was taken by Apophis, after Nem, after Hathor, after sarcophagus addiction, after Sha're's death, after a million other things that gave you nightmares, I've held you until you felt better. Just like the way you've been there for me when stuff gets too much. No problem. It's what friends do."

"Thanks," Daniel said, his head resting on Jack's chest. A sniffle a second later made Jack reach for Kleenex (he'd stocked up on tissues since Daniel had become his friend) and hand a couple to Daniel. "Jack, what if we can't find a way to turn me back?"

"Make you your proper size? Well, we haven't really tried yet, but I can promise you this: You won't end up in foster care. We'll make some kind of arrangements with you that you'll at least find bearable. You might not be able to live on your own, but we'll work out something."

Jack waited for Daniel to say something, but he smiled when he heard the deep breathing of his friend. The poor guy had fallen asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Monday morning found Jack and Daniel back in the infirmary at Janet's insistence. He was weighed, measured, and had the thousandth blood sample taken before Janet told him he could go back to work if he felt up to it.

"Really?" Daniel said, surprised. "Like this?"

"Well, I have no reason to keep you. You've put on weight, you've relaxed, and you look like you've gotten plenty of rest since Friday. Keeping you here will only make you brood, won't it? The general has already said it's all right as long as you report for a physical every morning until we get this situation resolved," she explained. "Would you like to be cleared to go back to work?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Daniel assured her. "Thanks, Janet."

"No problem," she said, signing some papers in his file. "I'll see you tomorrow morning for your physical."

Daniel hopped down from the gurney, told Jack he'd see him at lunch, and practically danced out of the infirmary.

"Good idea," Jack complimented Janet. "He _needs_ to work."

"How'd this weekend go?"

"It went okay," Jack admitted. "I got him to eat a bit of every kind of junk food known to man, he slept a lot, and we talked in between movies or clowning around. I think that the stress from Almadas almost drove him crazy, but he hung in there. He was certain that we'd go back for him, and he was right."

"Did he tell you everything that happened to him? Why he's been having nightmares, for example?"

"I don't know how much I can tell you," Jack said, running his hands through his hair absentmindedly. "A lot of what he told me…I don't think I should share out, you know?"

She nodded. "I see. Daniel trusts you enough to tell you these things, thank goodness. Do you think he'll be all right?"

Jack thought about it. "I think it will be a while before he's all right, but he'll make it eventually," he said thoughtfully. "He's been through so much already, and he's made it through. He just needs to feel safe again."

Janet jotted that down in Daniel's file, nodding. "All right. Perhaps you can assure the general of the same thing? He's been down here twice already to ask my opinion. Maybe if he heard it from you he might believe it. You're the one who's closest to Daniel."

"No problem, doc," Jack said, giving her a little smile. It amused him to no end that Janet hadn't been able to reassure their worried CO. "I'll do that right now."

"Thanks. See you later, colonel."

--

"What I don't understand is why they won't let us see him," Karl complained, ignoring his breakfast. "If we could just talk to him we could get this all cleared up."

"I don't think they're willing to listen to us," Karres pointed out. "I think we're going to have to get to Daniel on our own."

Karl looked at him. "You sound like you've been thinking."

"Almost since I got here," Karres admitted. "How much have the two of you learned about the Ring?"

"It's a transport device, and you have to dial it," Mara said, remembering how it had been activated on Almadas. "Seven symbols are used, and apparently, it takes you to another planet."

"They don't have a dialer like the one we have on Almadas," Karres said thoughtfully. "I think they've made their own somehow, and it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out how to work it. If we could get Daniel, we may be able to figure out the symbols for Almadas and take him back with us. Once there, we can see to it that the Ring is buried or covered so his friends can't come through after him. If you two will agree to it, I'll perform the procedure again, this time making him an infant."

"But don't infants lose their adult personalities?" Karl asked. He knew that was why any volunteers for the procedure were never regressed lower than four years of age. Below that age, the adult personality disappeared and the person the volunteer had been was no longer there. While people wanted children to raise, they were reluctant to make anyone lose him or herself.

"That's exactly why I want to do it. Daniel's had a traumatic past—I can tell that without his having to say anything. Everyone we've spoken to is very protective of him because of that trauma. Don't you think it would be better if he could forget all of that? Grow up again without that hanging over his head?" Karres said, sounding very determined. "If you raised him from an infant, he would love you as his parents. He would stay, and he would remember nothing of this planet or the people who are keeping you from your son. Don't you see it would be better for him?"

"I agree," Karl said after a few moments of thinking. "Mara?"

"Couldn't we just take him back to Almadas without making him an infant? He wasn't there long," she reminded them. "He may just need some more time with us before accepting what's happened."

"How long do you think that would take?" Karres asked. "How long before he tries to run away again? You've seen they put a barrier over their Ring to keep people from coming through. What if he ran away, activated the Ring, went through it, and they didn't know he was coming and kept the barrier up? He would die, wouldn't he? Don't you want to keep that from happening?"

She hung her head, and when she raised it again she was wiping away tears. "All right. I'll agree. How do we get out of here and find Daniel?"

"First of all, we'll need to blend in," Karres said. "Everyone here wears uniforms…"

--

General Hammond was in his office finishing up some paperwork when his phone rang. "Hammond," he said into the receiver, barely paying attention.

"_Sir? This is Dr. Frasier,"_ he heard. _"We received a call for a med team, and they brought back the airmen who were supposed to be guarding the Almadans. They'd been knocked unconscious and stripped of their uniforms. The staff who'd taken the Almadans' lunch to the cell found them. The Almadans were not in their cell."_

"Understood, Doctor," General Hammond said. "Thank you. I'll send security to Dr. Jackson and put the base on alert."

"_Thank you, sir."_

Hammond hung up, dialed security, gave the orders, called Dr. Jackson to apprise him of the situation and put the base on alert before heading down to the infirmary to see how the injured men were and to receive their reports. As he made his way to the infirmary he was pleased to see several security teams already sweeping the base for the Almadans.

Only one of the men were awake, and what he had to tell was surprising. They heard the two men—Karl and Karres—calling for help, saying that Mara was very sick. One of the two went in, and a moment later the Almadans' calls increased in volume and panic, so the second went in when his fellow guard hadn't answered his question if everything was all right. He'd found his fellow guard on the floor and the last thing he remembered was seeing Karres rushing at him.

"So we've got two of them in uniforms and another in the clothing we provided," Hammond said, feeling rather worried. The jumpsuits were just enough like uniforms to pass, so many people wouldn't give them a second glance. "Fabulous."

"Do you think they're after Daniel, sir?" Janet asked.

"Without a doubt," Hammond said, heading over to the phone and picking up the earpiece. "This is General Hammond. I need a location on Dr. Jackson immediately." That was when the security personnel on the other end of the phone told him that the security detail assigned to Dr. Jackson hadn't found him in his office and were now searching for him. Hammond felt a cold mass of worry settle in his gut.

--

Daniel headed down the hall towards the commissary, the scents wafting in the air making him hurry his steps a little. He was actually pretty hungry, and it smelled like they had beef stew today. Either that, or beef pot pie. Both were comfort foods, and he was looking forward to something that was not either pizza or junk food. He appreciated Jack stuffing him, but junk food and ordering in got a little old after two days of it. Breakfast that morning had been Little Debbie cakes and soda. It gave him a good sugar rush, but now his stomach was demanding actual food.

Three people were headed towards him, and he moved a little to the right to make room. He wasn't expecting one of them to scoop him up and clamp a hand over his mouth so he couldn't talk, and when he saw Karres' face, panic set in. He kicked, tried to bite and scream, and fought as much as he could.

"Stop that!" Karres hissed, pinning Daniel's arms to his sides while still keeping a hand over his mouth. "Which way, Karl?"

"Right," Karl said, leading the way. "I've hit the emergency switch, so people should have cleared that booth so we can get at the dialer."

At that, Daniel's panic elevated, and he kicked and squirmed harder. If they were talking about the Gate, then he needed to get away. If they took him back through the Gate to Almadas, then his chances of getting away and back home were practically zero. They'd watch him all the time and he'd never have a chance to slip away.

As he was carried along the hall to their goal of the booth, Daniel began wishing that he had telepathic abilities. He could just scream into Jack's head that he needed help and tell him what was going on. Determined to get away, Daniel dug his fingernails into the hand Karres held over his mouth and kicked back with his right foot, bashing Karres squarely in the groin. Karres dropped him, and before Karl or Mara could silence him, he started screaming and scurried to his feet, shooting down the corridor, praying that he could find someone else that would help him.

The answer to such a prayer reaffirmed his belief in a benevolent God as Jack rounded the corner, looking for the source of the noise.

"JAAAAACK!"

"Daniel!" Jack said, surprised. "What--?" Then he spotted the Almadans and he cursed the fact that he was not carrying a zat. "The three of you freeze!" he shouted as Daniel reached him and threw his arms around Jack's neck. How had Daniel been able to jump that high? Adrenalin?

"Put him down," Karl said, advancing on Jack.

"That's not going to happen," Jack said, holding Daniel. "What do you three think you're doing?"

"They're planning on going back through the Gate, and they were going to take me with them," Daniel said, his face buried in Jack's shoulder. Jack thought it was a little scary the way Daniel was shaking.

At those words, Jack grabbed the nearest wall phone and dialed security, telling the person on the line where he was and that the Almadans were out and had been planning on kidnapping Dr. Jackson. Dr. Jackson, by the way, could be found in the infirmary as soon as security had arrived.

"I don't need to go to the infirmary, Jack," Daniel protested, not releasing his stranglehold on his friend.

"Why don't you go for _my_ peace of mind?" Jack suggested, being careful to block any escape by the Almadans. If he could be sure that Daniel would do it, he would tell him to go to the infirmary on his own, but he had a strong hunch that Daniel wouldn't be letting go of him anytime soon.

"Daniel," Mara said, trying to get Daniel to listen to her. "Honey, we only want to take you home with us. We weren't going to hurt you."

"I want to stay here," Daniel snapped, his patience all but gone. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Son, you belong with us," Karl said, hoping to convince him.

"I'M NOT YOUR SON!" Daniel shouted, his face red. "MY PARENTS ARE DEAD! THEY WERE MELBURN AND CLAIRE JACKSON, AND THEY WEREN'T CALLED KARL OR MARA! I'M NOT YOUR SON!"

"It would be very smart of you three if you were to shut up now," Jack said into the ensuing silence.

Karres looked as if he were about to say something, but security arriving saved Jack from having to listen to it. The Almadans were escorted to separate cells, and Jack escorted Daniel to the infirmary. Once there and settled on a bed, Daniel broke down. He started crying and to his great embarrassment, he couldn't stop. Janet told him that he was in reaction to a stressful event and that what he was doing was normal. Jack stretched out on the bed beside him and put an arm around him, telling him, "It's okay, Daniel. It'll be okay. You go ahead and do that all you want, and I'll keep handing you tissues."

"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said, sniffling. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Hey, if I were in your situation I would probably be doing the same thing. Don't worry about it."

Lunch was brought for the two of them there after Daniel had calmed down, and after Jack had gotten Daniel to eat a little something Janet suggested Daniel have a rest. After all, he had just come through a distressing incident, and there was no reason for him to head back to his office just yet.

"I'm too old for a nap," Daniel said, not wanting to do the typical "kid" thing again.

"I didn't say 'nap,' I said 'rest,' which is different," Janet retorted. "The colonel can stay if you want, and if he doesn't have anywhere he needs to go."

"Nowhere that can't be put off until later," Jack said, smiling. "Is it okay if I stay?"

"If you don't mind, Jack."

"Not in the slightest. Now hurry up and pretend to be asleep. My nurse radar tells me that there are a few very cute specimens headed this way, and they'll gravitate towards a sleeping Daniel Jackson."

Daniel chuckled and complied, hurriedly leaning up against Jack and playing up the adorable factor.

As three nurses approached and congregated around the bed with whispers, Janet reflected that it was a good sign—a very good sign—that Daniel had complied so quickly. It showed that he was actually handling things pretty well and was able to think about more than what had happened. Bearing that in mind, she went to see General Hammond.

"Hello, Doctor," he said as she approached him. "Dr. Jackson asleep?"

"Pretending to be so nurses will gather around him and Colonel O'Neill."

Hammond stared at her, then smiled. "Oh, I see. Well, they'll certainly do that. Is Dr. Jackson all right?"

"I think he'll be fine, sir, but what are we going to do about the Almadans? They can't stay here; they proved that today."

"Right now I'm very partial to sending them back and blocking the address from our computer," Hammond admitted, sighing. "However, we can't do that. We have a trade agreement with them and I received a request from Washington today that I return them home and not hold anything against them."

"That's outrageous!"

"That's what has been suggested by the higher-ups," Hammond pointed out. "On top of that…well, I have all the worries and stresses of running a base, Doctor. I'm sure you know."

"I know, sir. Is one of those worries SG-7? They were supposed to be back this morning, and now it's afternoon."

"That's one of them," the general confirmed. "We got a message from them not twenty minutes ago that they've run into a slight 'snag' and will be back this evening. I shudder to think what that snag will be."

"Let's hope it won't be too bad, sir. I'll have the infirmary ready for them."

"Thank you, Doctor. Keep me apprised of Dr. Jackson's condition, will you? I worry about that boy more than I should."

"Sir, you worry about all of SG-1 far more than you should. Ten to one Teal'c and Sam will be down there by this point, and I can kiss all hope of getting Daniel to rest goodbye."

Hammond's chuckle followed her all the way back to her office, and sure enough, when she looked in on Daniel she found Sam and Teal'c there as well.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're clear to come through, SG-7," Hammond said into the radio. SG-7 was on the other side of the Gate, ready to come home and explain the "snag," and he couldn't wait to hear it. He'd heard every kind of story out there: weddings, funerals, adoption, being mistaken for gods, being mistaken for reincarnated family members…There was little he hadn't heard in his time at the SGC.

The iris opened, and the four members of SG-7 came through a minute later. All four of them looked exhausted, and as they reached the end of the ramp they plopped down on the floor. One man even went so far as to lie down, letting out a tired "Oohhhh-ohh."

Hammond entered the Gate room, slightly amused. He arrived there just in time to hear, "What's that sound?" "Silence, my friend." "Oh. Thought it sounded weird."

"I take it you've been somewhere noisy?" Hammond said, approaching the fatigued team.

All four of them did not get up, but they did salute. "Yes, sir," Lieutenant Markham said from the floor.

"Are any of you injured?"

Stephens looked himself over. "Don't think so, sir. Just really _reeeaallly_ tired."

Hammond nodded, reminding himself that SG-7 would have mentioned in their transmission if they had fallen prey to some sort of illness. "Then the four of you should get to the infirmary."

General Hammond had a very few amusing minutes as he watched SG-7 attempt and fail to get to their feet. Finally, he took pity on them and asked for a medteam with wheelchairs to help them. He followed them down to the infirmary, wondering just what had made the four men so tired, but as he got closer to the infirmary he forgot all about it.

Daniel was screaming.

Hammond pushed past SG-7 and their attendants and burst into the infirmary in time to see Jack scooping up Daniel from his bed and trying to wake him.

"What happened?" he demanded of Major Carter.

"Daniel started having a nightmare, and we've been trying to wake him up for the past five minutes," she said, sounding very frightened.

"C'mon, Daniel, c'mon," Jack was saying, rubbing Daniel's back. Hammond wondered why Jack didn't try shaking him, but then he remembered that Daniel might not take to that too well while still in the throes of a nightmare.

Nurses streamed past all of them to the newly-arrived SG-7 team, all of whom were holding their ears.

"Aw, man. It's like we're still there," Stephens complained. "What happened to Dr. Jackson?"

"It's…Dr. Jackson," Markham answered.

--

After their abortive escape attempt, the three Almadans had been placed in separate cells. Karl and Mara saw one another over meals, which they were allowed to take together, but Jack insisted that Karres be kept on his own. So he was alone in his cell when Jack burst in, looking furious and ready to kill.

"What the HELL did you DO to him?!" he demanded, advancing on the physician.

"To whom are you referring?" Karres asked calmly.

"You know very well 'whom,'" Jack said sharply. "I just got done calming him out of yet another nightmare. Why is he so terrified? Huh? Why does he start screaming while he's asleep? What did you do to him?"

"I have merely tried to help him," Karres told him. "I tried to help him by giving him a chance to have a second, happier childhood, and then I tried to help him appreciate his new chances and family. That is all. It isn't my fault he is singularly unappreciative."

"Bull," Jack said rudely. "You did something to him that traumatized him. He's spent a lot of his life dealing with a lot of pain, and something you did to him brought it all to the forefront again in addition to the new pain you caused him. Now, I'm going to say this very simply: What did you do to him?"

"Nothing that I haven't already told you," Karres assured him.

"Damn you to hell!" Jack swore. "All right, better question. How do we make him his proper size again?"

"He'll have to grow into it, like I've been saying."

"That's a lie," Jack snapped. "If you do something, you have to know how to undo it. So, how do we undo it?"

Karres was silent for a moment. "Did you ever consider, Colonel, that perhaps this is how everything is supposed to be? That Daniel is supposed to be with Karl and Mara now? That the One sent him to our planet for a purpose?"

"No, I never considered it," Jack admitted. "And I don't intend to start now. I'll be back later, and you better have something good to tell me then. Got it?"

"My answer then will be the same as it is now," Karres promised him.

Jack snarled something that sounded like "rat bastard" and stalked out. Karres smiled. Eventually, if he had enough time, he would be able to wear them down. They would have to agree with him sometime.

--

Jack stormed through the halls of the base, contemplating murder. Preferably a long, drawn-out, excruciatingly painful murder. How could Karres keep up the lie that he'd done Daniel a _favor_? How ridiculous was that? How long did he expect them to just swallow what he said?

He found himself wishing for a baseball bat. He'd hit a home run using Karres' head.

Still, he reflected, it wouldn't do Daniel any favors if he killed the guy. He needed to be alive for questioning later, and Jack knew the perfect person to do it, too. _This_ person always got answers. He headed toward the control booth, hoping he'd be able to dial the Gate without too many snags, and hopefully, he wouldn't be court-martialed over it. The General was a pretty good guy; he'd be understanding. He cared about Daniel just as much as everyone else did, so he could overlook a little misdemeanor when it ultimately went toward helping the base's favorite archeologist.

--

Hammond stared at the four members of SG-7, praying that he'd heard them correctly. "Okay, just to check: You say you went to this planet, but all you found were---?"

"Ankle-biters, sir," Markham assured him. "Lots of 'em. Trust me, no one was more surprised than we were. They were...everywhere."

Hammond blinked, feeling the beginning of a possible plan forming in his mind. "And the adults?"

"There were none,"Stephens clarified. "Trust me, we looked. We got through the Gate, and next thing we know, we're surrounded by little, chattering creatures. If we ever want to wear down the Goa'ould, all we need to do is unleash this planet of kids on them. They'd be begging for mercy within five minutes."

"So, what was the snag?"

All four men looked at him as if they couldn't believe their ears. Finally, Markham found his voice. "Well, sir, the kids really didn't want us to come back. They said that they've had this story for as long as they could remember: Parents would one day come through the Gate for them, and they'd never have to be alone again. When we arrived, it was like we were looking at a wax museum display. They'd all frozen and were staring at us, but the next thing we knew, we were being mobbed."

Stephens spoke up. "The kids thought that the four of us were their parents, and they really didn't want us to leave them again."

Campbell, SG-7's cultural expert, took up the debriefing then. "They thought we wouldn't come back, so whenever we tried to approach the Gate, they'd surround us again and edge us away from it. We were kept at a run with bandaging scraped knees, giving hugs, telling stories...."

Calder grinned. "And all of the kids really liked MREs when we fixed supper. As soon as their little bellies were full they were happy enough to settle down and stargaze with Markham and Campbell while Stephens and I made a call home. Then, once they were asleep, we came back."

"I don't want to think about what those kids are going to go through when they wake up and realize that all of you are gone," Hammond said, shaking his head with a slight smile. All four men were bachelors and only Campbell had even a remote experience with kids. It would have been vastly amusing to watch them interact with those kids. It would have been like Three Men and a Baby times ten!

"Don't give us nightmares, sir," Markham pleaded.

"Well, what we need to do now is find some way to help those kids, and to find out if they're really orphans. If they are, we'll bring them here and arrange families for them," Hammond stated.

"Sir, where are we going to find that many families with the right kind of security clearance?" Campbell wondered.

"Oh, I can think of a place. Dismissed."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"—AND FURTHERMORE, THE NEXT TIME YOU TAKE IT UPON YOURSELF TO DIAL THE GATE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL, I'LL BE FORCED TO COURT MARTIAL YOU! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD, COLONEL?!"

Sam drew away from the General's door, marveling at the speed rumors traveled around the base grapevine. She'd heard that O'Neill was being chewed out, but she hadn't expected to arrive before the chewing out was actually over.

"Yes, sir," Jack answered nonchalantly.

"Good, now that that's out of the way, suppose you explain your actions," Hammond said, speaking in a normal voice. The transition was so fast that she had trouble believing it. "What were you doing?"

"I went through the Gate to the K'Tau Hall of Wisdom," Jack told him.

Later, Sam would be appalled at how she'd burst in on two superior offices without leave, but at the time, she was only thinking of what that simple statement implied. "Do you think the Asgard can help Daniel, sir?"

Both men looked up, smiled, and motioned for her to have a seat without reprimanding her.

"That's the general idea," Jack affirmed. "I mean, they're way ahead of us medically speaking. There has to be something they can do. I left a message for Thor, saying we needed his expertise with a situation, and the people on the other end of the line said that they'd get a hold of him and let him know. Knowing Thor-" A bright flash of light interrupted him, and Jack grinned. "—he should be here right about now. Hiya, Thor. Good to see you."

Thor stood in the center of General Hammond's office, looking around. "O'Neill. Major Carter. General Hammond. It is good to see you as well. I was told that you had a situation."

"Yeah, we do," Jack said. "General, permission to take Thor down to the infirmary and debrief?"

"Granted, Colonel, but I'm coming along. Major, are you joining us?"

"Sure. Can't wait."

Moving through the base with Thor in tow was…well, it was a trip. They kept getting double-takes from the staff who hadn't seen an Asgard before, and from those who had, they received a polite hello. Those who knew Thor were quick to welcome him back.

They arrived in the infirmary to find it quiet for a change, with a vigilant Teal'c and Janet stationed by Daniel's bed, guarding him from all disruptions.

"He is resting peacefully, O'Neill," Teal'c reported.

Thor looked at the sleeping boy. "You have brought me here to see this boy?"

"Look closely," Jack advised him. "Does he look familiar?"

Thor looked for a few moments. "He looks like a young Daniel Jackson."

Janet nodded. "And?"

Thor looked again, and then once more, very closely. "O'Neill—this child—it _can't_ be Dr. Jackson?"

"No, it _is_ Daniel," Jack assured him. "We're certain he is, and he knows he's Daniel. DNA tests confirm it. Someone off-world did this to him, and we've been trying to get him to tell us how to reverse it, but so far, he's not talking. We thought you might have some ideas, or you could question him for us. He won't talk to us, but he may be surprised enough by you to talk."

Thor lowered his head enough and let out a sound like a creaky door. It took everyone a moment to realize he was laughing. "It would be my pleasure, O'Neill. Where is this person?"

"Well, I'll take you to him. Teal'c, wanna tag along?"

"You go ahead, Teal'c, I'll watch Daniel," Janet promised. "But you had better tell me everything that goes on and let me see the security tapes!"

"It's a promise, Doctor," Hammond said. "I have a feeling this won't take long."

Jack led the way to Karres' holding cell and Sam told Thor about everything she knew and observed about the off-world physician, as well as the particulars about the situation and Daniel's condition since his return. After all, he needed some background.

"Better let me go in first," Jack said as they got to the door. "I'll introduce you."

"Be sure not to frighten him too much, O'Neill," Thor advised him.

"Nah, I won't frighten him. I'll just shake him up a bit."

All of them could hear Jack as he said hello to Karres, and then Karres' reply.

"Colonel? You're so affable all of a sudden. What's changed?"

"Well, a friend of ours has arrived. He wants to meet you."

"Ah. And does this friend have a name?"

"Oh, yes. May I introduce Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet?"

Thor entered, and for a moment Jack was hard-put to keep his composure when he saw the look on Karres' face. When Sam, Teal'c, and General Hammond entered the observation room, they saw Karres backing away from Thor with a look of absolute terror.

"Oh, by the One," Karres gasped. "What is it? What _is_ it?"

"_That _is my good friend, Thor, and he deserves your respect," Jack told him caustically. "He _is _Supreme Commander, after all."

Karres bumped into the wall behind him and groaned, still frightened. Sam looked at the colonel and nearly laughed at the gleeful smile on her CO's face.

"I am one of the race called Asgard," Thor told Karres, a trace of amusement in his voice. "Do I frighten you?"

Karres groaned again. "You--you're--"

"I can see I do. One thing you must learn is not to allow appearances to frighten you, especially if you wish your people to grow and advance," Thor admonished. "My race is allied with the Tau'ri here on Earth. O'Neill tells me that you have done something to Dr. Jackson, and that you say you cannot undo it. O'Neill feels that you have been trying to mislead him about your ability to reverse the procedure. Dr. Jackson has been having nightmares and is increasingly fatigued and nervous. I think you should tell us everything about the procedure you did, as well as why you are so eager to take Daniel Jackson back to Almadas with you. There must be a very _good_ reason to want to do that so badly."

Trembling and still unable to look at Thor, Karres shook his head.

"You have a choice," Thor said. "You can tell me, or I can take the information from you. The latter option will not be...pleasant."

Karres' knees buckled, and Sam stifled a snicker. The Asgard couldn't delve into people's minds, and they wouldn't try to do it like Anubis or the Replicators had, but they were masters of the bluff.

"If...if I tell you...will you allow the three of us to go home?" Karres asked. "Unharmed?"

"I thought you wanted to take Daniel with you," Jack reminded him, unable to resist heckling the guy a bit.

"Would..._he_...allow it?" Karres demanded, glancing at Thor.

"I would not," Thor stated. "Many of us in the Asgard respect Daniel Jackson greatly. I consider him my friend. I know it is his wish to remain here, so I would not allow you to take him."

Teal'c saw that Karres was visibly trembling, and he watched, perfectly fascinated. Karres was probably thinking about all the things Thor could do to him if Karres attempted to force Daniel to go back to Almadas.

"All right," Karres ground out. "All right, I'll tell you. Just don't come any closer."

Sam grabbed a pencil and paper and began to take notes.

--

"So what you're telling me, in a nutshell, is that what happened to Daniel is a form of extreme plastic surgery?" Janet asked, amazed. "Karres would make a killing in Beverly Hills!"

"And other ritzy places," Jack said, taking a sip of coffee. It had taken several hours for Karres to tell them how the procedure had been done (and how it could theoretically be undone, no one had ever tried it before, so Karres hadn't really been lying) and why Daniel seemed so tired and nervous all the time, and Jack felt incredibly sleepy from all the medical babble he'd been hearing.

"And the nervousness, fatigue, and nightmares are his mind trying to reconciliate with his body. It's like his mind is running its own version of a system analysis. It knows something isn't right, and the stress is causing all of the nightmares, nerves, and tiredness," Sam continued for Janet. "Karres said that a further procedure was needed to make this one permament and to stabilize Daniel's mind and body. If that procedure had taken place on schedule, Daniel wouldn't be in the state he's in now, but we found him and brought him home instead. That's why Karres is so darn eager to take him back."

"Is Dr. Jackson in any danger?" General Hammond wanted to know.

"Karres said that the only real danger Daniel will run will be all mental--more fatigue, nerves, nightmares, later he'll have hallucinations, and ultimately, a complete cognitive displacement. He'll go crazy, literally. That's why Karres says it's vital we get Daniel back to Almadas for the stabilizer."

"The stabilizer will make Daniel Jackson's state permanent," Teal'c stated. "Is there any way we can attempt a reversal?"

Janet had been studying Sam's notes as well as the diagrams Karres had drawn. "No. Not at our current level of technology. To attempt it would kill Daniel."

"If I may," Thor said, stepping smoothly into the conversation. "I believe that the Asgard have such technology."

Jack grinned. He _knew_ Thor would come through! "Great! So, we beam up to your ship, you fix Daniel, and we all go fishing to celebrate!"

"I do not have the technology on my ship, but it is on Orilla. We can use my ship to go there."

"Cool!" Jack said, punching a fist into the air. "Road trip with Thor!"

"Physicians on Orilla will require all of Dr. Jackson's medical history," Thor informed Janet.

"I'll release the files, but the colonel is honorbound to bring them back."

Jack pretended to be shocked and disappointed. "Don't you trust me, doc?"

"I'm not going to answer that. I have files to get."

Jack grinned at the rest of SG-1. "She trusts me."

Sam and Teal'c turned to General Hammond at the same time. "Sir, request permission--"

"Granted," Hammond told them before they could finish. "All of you had better pack for a few days. I'll take the liberty of packing for Dr. Jackson. Meet back here when you're done. Dismissed, people."

"Sir, I've said it before, but I'll say it again. You rock."

"Thank you, colonel."


	16. Chapter 16

Jack found himself increasingly ready to kill Karres during their journey to Orilla. Daniel spent most of the time asleep in the living quarters, but like clockwork, every few hours, he would wake up screaming. He would wake up, begging his parents to come back, screaming for Sha're, and screaming for SG-1. As soon as Jack, Sam, or Teal'c managed to get through to him that he was okay, they were okay, and they weren't going to leave him alone, he would break down in tears and keep crying until he fell back asleep. After the first few episodes of nightmares/crying all of them were feeling more than a little frazzled.

"I should have killed that bastard while I had the chance," Jack muttered while pacing outside of Daniel's room. Sam and Teal'c were inside with the little guy, keeping him company, and Jack vented to Thor.

"That would not have been helpful," Thor said calmly. "Are not Karres' people your allies?"

"And I'm questioning the wisdom of that more and more," Jack said, rubbing his eyes. "What on earth are we doing, being involved with these people? They imprison people and put them through physical and mental hell! They SHRINK them and force them into some mockery of a childhood! What kind of ally is _that_?"

"One with skewed morals," Thor said, getting straight to the point. "They did what they felt was necessary, O'Neill. Do not let that stop you from doing what also benefits your people."

"Doesn't it make you _angry_?" Jack wanted to know. "Seeing Daniel like that?"

"It does," Thor admitted. "I would be much angrier if there was nothing I could do about it, though. I keep reminding myself that Dr. Jackson will be fine within a few days."

"I guess I could do the same," Jack said, still pacing. "But I don't know if I have the patience."

"It is all right to be angry, O'Neill," Thor told him. "Perhaps it would be better for you if you channeled that anger into comforting Daniel."

Jack considered this. "I guess that's the only option open to me right now," he said. "Either that, or I could spar with Teal'c, but I doubt he's in the mood. He's in his protective mode right now and it's pretty hard to make him switch modes if he doesn't want to."

Thor glanced into Daniel's room where the large form of Teal'c was hovering by Daniel's bed. "Indeed."

Jack stared at Thor, uncertain if this was a joke or not. "Yeah."

--

Hammond stared morosely at his desk, wondering what masochistic impulse had ever prompted him to accept this command, let alone remain with it after things began to heat up. Washington had even offered him retirement more than once, saying that the command should go to a younger man with more stamina, but he always refused it, despite the fact that they were more than right that he deserved a nice, relaxing retirement. After all, he would never forgive himself for leaving. This command was too important, and a lot of the time, it was fun! Right now, though, he was seriously considering retirement. The Council from Almadas was coming in a few minutes to reclaim Karres, Karl, and Mara and to find out why they'd been kept prisoner for so long and Hammond was not looking forward to this meeting. It could mean the end of their trade agreement and Washington wasn't done gloating about it yet. If only politics wouldn't get in the way of what needed to be done…

Hearing the announcement that the Gate was being activated, Hammond headed for the control room. "Where's the signal coming from?"

"Almadas, sir," Walter said, typing on the keyboard.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered, heading toward the Gate room. A minute later several people stepped through and as the Gate disengaged behind them they gazed around the room, clearly surprised that they were underground.

"Where are we?" one woman said, astounded. "I thought we were going to Earth!"

"You are on Earth," Hammond hastened to assure her. "Welcome. I am General Hammond."

The woman stepped forward and gave him a stately nod. "I am Head Elder Seera," she said. "Where is Physician Karres?"

"Some of my staff are bringing him and his friends up from quarters," Hammond told her.

The Council began to descend the ramp, Seera in the lead. "Why have they been confined here?"

"We were attempting to get Physician Karres to explain to us what it was that he'd done to Dr. Jackson," he explained. "Initially, he was not willing to do so, but a friend of ours impressed upon him how important that information was."

"You make it sound as if you interrogated him!" one of the Council accused.

"We only asked questions. He and Karl and Mara were treated well, I promise you that."

The door opening saved him from having to say anything else. Karres, Karl, and Mara were there with their and they all looked relieved to see the Council. Karres actually had color returning to his face, which was a first since he had seen Thor. Karres' face had been gray since Thor's visit and he looked so awful that Janet had been concerned, but he promised her that he was fine.

Hammond led all of them to the debriefing room, hoping to get this problem resolved. He showed them the security tapes of Karl, Mara and Karres' confinement in addition to the tapes of Daniel in the infirmary, as well as the Almadans' escape attempt and how they had tried to take Daniel with them.

"You see why such measures were necessary," Hammond said as the tapes ended. "We were concerned for the safety of Dr. Jackson. He is the foremost expert we have on both the Gate and the cultures we come into contact with. In addition to that, he has many good friends here on base. We couldn't allow him to be kidnapped away from somewhere he felt safe."

Oh, now Hammond was glad that he'd never retired. The Council, one and all, were glaring at Physician Karres.

"You never told us that this procedure could drive the children mad!" one man said.

"You never told us that Dr. Jackson would come to be in this condition!"

"You assured us that once the procedure was done Dr. Jackson would agree to remain!"

Karres looked as if he were wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole. "I—I—Elders, I…"

"I think that we can agree to let bygones be bygones," Hammond said, feeling that Karres' disgrace was the ultimate revenge for what he'd put Daniel through. "Our world would still like to enjoy the privilege of calling your world our friends. Is that possible?"

Astounded, the Council stared at him. "You would still like to be our allies after…after _this_?" Seera asked, amazed. It was clear that she and everyone else expected to have some sort of retribution exacted from them for what they had done.

"We are sorry for what Daniel has gone through, and we are more than sorry for the situation you find yourselves in, but the offer of alliance and trade still stands," Hammond said, more than a little happy that this was going so well. Washington had wanted him to make sure the trade and alliance agreement stood, so that was what he was doing.

Seera looked weary and resigned. "Will Dr. Jackson be all right?"

"Allies of ours are doing what they can to help him," he told her. "They told me that he'll just be fine very soon." As he said this, Hammond hoped that that was true.

--

How long had he been like this? He wasn't sure anymore. All he could remember was being afraid. What was wrong? Had he done something to make this happen? Was someone trying to hurt him? His parents—where were his parents? Where were they? Where was he? Why couldn't he see or hear anything? Had his parents left him here? Why? Had he been bad? No, they wouldn't do that to him. They'd never left him alone because he'd been bad before. Oh, no. What if someone else had taken them away because he'd been bad? Feeling the fear grow, he called out for them, screaming for them at the top of his lungs, but there was no answer. Abruptly the focus of his fear shifted—Sha're! Where was Sha're? Where was his wife?!

"Daniel!"

What was that? Whose voice was that? Would his friends be able to tell him? Wait a moment. Where were they? Where was SG-1? _Where were they?_

"DANIEL! WAKE UP!!"

Daniel's eyes opened and above him he saw Jack, Sam, and Teal'c, all watching him with expressions of deep concern. Jack had his arms around him and was holding him, attempting to calm him. "Jack!" Daniel said, throwing his own arms around Jack's neck and burying his face in his friend's shoulder. A second later he was sobbing, unable to stop himself.

"It's okay, Danny," Jack said, lifting him up and putting him on his lap. "It's okay. It was just a nightmare."

"It keeps coming back!" Daniel howled into Jack's shoulder. "It won't stop!"

"We'll find a way to make it stop," Jack promised him. "We'll be on Orilla soon and we'll find a way to make it stop. I promise."

Daniel held onto Jack, sobbing while Jack repeated that litany over and over until gradually, Daniel calmed down, relaxed, and fell asleep. Jack waited a few more minutes until he was sure that Daniel was actually asleep before putting him back in bed. "Carter, Teal'c, stay with him. I'll be right back."

"Yes, sir," Carter said, taking Jack's place and putting an arm around Daniel. He deserved as much cuddling as he could take right now.

Jack made his way through the corridors of the ship to the bridge, hoping Thor would be there. Thanks be to all things sacred and benevolent; he was. "Thor. Are we there yet?" He winced, hoping he didn't sound too much like a whiny kid on a long car trip.

"Another hour or so, O'Neill, if we continue at this speed."

"And we're already going as fast as we can?"

Thor regarded him solemnly. "Yes. I wish we could go faster. His nightmares are becoming worse?"

"They're awful," Jack confessed. "I don't know what to do or how much more of this Daniel will be able to take." He started pacing, certain that in the next moment he was going to lose it entirely.

"Once we are on Orilla, I will ask the physicians to stabilize his mind as much as possible," Thor offered. "It will not be permanent, but it will do for the time being. His mind will be stable as soon as the procedure is completed."

"And you're absolutely positive that these physicians will be able to get him back to the way he's supposed to be?"

"We would not be making this journey if I were not certain of it, O'Neill."

"Right, of course," Jack said, sighing. "Sorry."

"It is all right. You are worried."

"We're all worried," Jack said, sitting down and leaning against the wall. "I wouldn't be sorry to be the general right now. He's probably not worried at all."

--

Hammond wondered if the stress he was under would finally give him the ulcer that his doctor had warned him about ten years ago. It wouldn't surprise him, but then again, who was his doctor to tell him what his body would do?

Still…

He'd thought he'd had things under control. The Almadans had come to an agreement with him and Karres would be undergoing a hearing once the Council took him back. In the meantime, the Almadans were guests of the base and they were getting to know their new allies. As a gesture of good faith Karl and Mara were meeting with Dr. Mackenzie to tell him about Daniel's time on Almadas and hopefully the doctor would understand enough about Daniel's experience to help the man come to terms with it.

Then, things became complicated. SG-7 had gone back off-world that morning to carry out their orders and they were there only an hour before they radioed back, practically _begging_ to bring the kids back to the base.

"How many are there?" Hammond had asked.

"_I don't know, sir, they won't stay still long enough for us to count them!"_ Stephens radioed back, sounding desperate. _"They won't let go of us and they keep __**crying**__!"_

It sounded as if the situation were dire. "All right, SG-7! Do you think we have enough room for them here?"

"_I hope to God we do, sir. Can we come through now?"_

Was it Hammond's imagination, or was Stephens close to tears? "Give me five minutes, SG-7."

Hurriedly, Hammond paged all available staff who had experience with kids to report to certain rooms on the base. A med team was sent to each room and once each location reported that they were ready, Hammond gave the okay for SG-7 to start bringing the kids through. Once the first kids came through, it became apparent that there were a lot of them. He lost count at about a hundred, but there were far more than that. Security in the Gate room kept count of the children coming through and by eight o'clock that night five hundred and eighteen kids were bedded down in various rooms all over the base. Every available person on staff stayed to help with the kids, making sure that each child was doctored, washed, dressed, fed, and bedded down within a reasonable amount of time. Dr. Mackenzie and his staff circulated among the kids, checking for any signs of mental trauma or hysteria.

"Well?" General Hammond said wearily as Mackenzie arrived to report. "How are they?"

"Mentally, they're fine," Mackenzie told him. "They're all positive that they've come to the right place, and once they calmed down from the Gate trip, they seemed fine. It's amazing. You'd think that they'd be showing at least some signs of stress, but these kids are pretty resilient."

"Dr. Frasier says they're all healthy, normal kids. No illness of any kind, thank goodness. The only thing we have to worry about now is diaper detail for the infants, and most of their older siblings take care of that. What do you think happened to their parents? Have they said anything about that?" Hammond wondered, curious.

"From what I've been told, it was an age-specific illness that somehow changed—I'm guessing it mutated. According to Dr. Frasier, it thrives only on their home planet and people from Earth are somehow immune to it. She doesn't understand why that is yet, but she and I are both glad that that's the case."

"Thank goodness for small mercies," Hammond said, feeling the possibility of an ulcer recede. "All right, let's get this show on the road."

Mackenzie left to head back to his duties while Hammond called for two SG teams to report to his office. They would be liaisons with the Almadans for the plan that he had percolating in his mind. Hopefully, it would all turn out all right. He headed out of his office and through the debriefing room but stopped dead when he saw all of SG-7 crashed out in four of the chairs. "SG-7? Are you all right?"

Markham raised his head. "Think so, sir."

"What are you doing in here?"

"All of the quarters have been taken up by midgets, sir," Stephens informed him, not lifting his head from where it was cradled on his arms. "This seemed to be the quietest place."

Hammond understood and a chuckle started to creep up on him. "Right. As you were."

"Thank you, sir," Campbell said while the fourth man answered with a slight snore. "Good night."

--

"Daniel?"

Daniel opened weary eyes when he heard his name. "Jack?"

"Right here, Danny," Jack said, picking him up. "We're on Orilla."

Daniel shifted his head so he could look up at Jack. "We are?"

"Yep," Jack promised. "Look out there," he said, nodding toward a window.

Daniel looked and sure enough, this place looked like an Asgard world. "'Sbeautiful," he managed to say. He leaned his head against Jack's shoulder, far too tired to keep talking.

"He is exhausted, O'Neill," Daniel heard Thor say. "Before we can do anything about his physical condition, he must have rest. The physicians I asked to be present are ready and waiting."

"Great," Jack said. "Can't wait to meet them."

Daniel didn't fall asleep, but he wasn't exactly awake, either. He felt himself being carried through what sounded like large, echoing hallways and for a few minutes, it felt as if they had left the hallways and were outside somewhere. Then they were inside again, travelling through spaces that were much smaller.

"In here," Thor said, and the sound of the space around them changed again. "We have taken humans' needs into account, so these quarters should be comfortable for you. There is even food that should be palatable to you."

Was it his imagination, or did he hear Sam breathe a sigh of relief?

"This is great," Jack said, still holding onto Daniel while pivoting slowly around on one foot. To Daniel it felt like being on a really, really slow teacup ride at an amusement park. "Weren't those doctors supposed to meet us here? Oh. There they are."

Daniel wished he could open his eyes so he could see what was going on, but his eyelids had ideas of their own.

"Greetings, Thor," he heard an Asgard say. "And greetings, SG-1."

"Hi," Jack said. "How ya doin'?"

"We are well," another Asgard told him, sounding slightly confused at Jack's greeting. "Is that Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel felt himself lowered onto something that could have been a couch or a bed. "The one and only," Sam said fondly while Jack settled him on the soft surface. "Thor says he's exhausted from all the nightmares he's been having. Is there anything you can do?"

"Of course, Major Carter. That is easily remedied," a third Asgard assured him, and a second later Daniel heard her come closer. "Oohhhh," she breathed. "I have never seen a human youngling this close before."

"Daniel Jackson is not actually a youngling," Teal'c reminded her.

"Of course," she said, sounding somewhat sad. "However, this is the closest I am likely to ever get to what could be considered one of your young. Our appearance can be frightening to those who are not used to us. That would include any human younglings we might approach."

"I see," Jack said, sounding a bit impatient.

"We can rectify his ability to rest now," the same Asgard said. "It will take only a moment."

She hadn't lied. A moment later Daniel felt something cold pressed against his neck, heard a hiss, and then sleep welled up around him and let him submerge himself in peace and quiet.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17—Adopted

"Daniel?"

Daniel sighed and rolled over, not wanting to get up. He was tired, so, so very tired. "What?"

"Time to eat, Danny-boy."

Jack. Only Jack would call him that. "No."

"Daniel, it's time to eat," Jack repeated, pulling the covers off of him. "Let's go."

"Nnnmm-mm."

Silence. Then, Thor's voice. "What was that?"

"I think it started off as a no and ended up…whatever it was," Daniel heard Sam say.

"We stabilized his mind while he was sleeping, and he should have slept off any remaining fatigue last night. It has been two days since your arrival. Why is he still sleeping?"

They were quiet, apparently thinking. Finally, Jack spoke. "Do you have any coffee? Carter, Teal'c, you didn't bring any, did you?"

Daniel suppressed a snort and kept his eyes firmly closed while one hand groped for the blankets Jack had pulled away from him. Contrary to popular belief, there _were_ times when he could resist coffee, and this was one of them. He wasn't getting up for _anything_, not even a sale at a bookstore.

"I wasn't thinking of coffee when I packed, sir," Sam admitted.

"Nor did I," Teal'c confessed.

"I knew I forgot something important and now I know what it is," Jack muttered.

Daniel wondered what would happen if he said _You forgot my teddy bear,_ but he decided that took too much effort. Besides, he didn't need a teddy bear. He didn't need a bear to cuddle; all he needed was a few blankets and some pillows. And a little peace and quiet if they saw fit to give it to him. "D'you mind? Sleeping, here."

"You've lost some more weight and Thor and your doctors think it would be a good idea for you to eat a little something."

"Mmph."

"Oh, he's in that I-don't-wanna-get-up mode," Jack said gleefully. "Watch this."

That should have warned him. Something freezing cold touched the back of his neck, sending him shooting up out of bed. "What _was_ that? Jack, what did you do?"

"I put my fingers on the back of your neck, Danny-boy," Jack said, waving the offending fingers. "Cold, huh?"

"Did you bury them in a snow drift before you did that?"

"No, just wrapped them around a cold drink," Jack said, lifting one from the bedside table. "This is some pretty good fruit juice. C'mon, you have to be hungry by now and breakfast is ready and waiting."

As if it had heard, his traitorous stomach growled. "Could I lie back down after we eat?" he pleaded. "I'm still really tired."

"You could curl up on a couch or chair for a bit," Jack offered. "After that, you have a doctor's appointment."

Daniel looked at him. "I do?"

"Yes," Thor affirmed. "The procedure to return you to your normal size will begin later today. A meal now would be a good thing for you since the procedure itself will tax your body very much. While the procedure is being carried out, you will be very hungry. It is best to start eating now, and a light meal won't hurt."

Daniel blinked. "Will the procedure hurt?"

Thor tilted his head to one side and considered the question for a moment before answering. "I do not know. That was never mentioned."

That didn't make him feel any better, but he didn't say anything. He allowed Jack to bully him out of bed and into some fresh clothes and out to the dining room where Teal'c, Sam, and Thor had gone to wait for them.

* * *

"Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly," Hammond said, staring at Mackenzie in shock. "More than one of the children has told you that there are _more_ kids on that planet waiting to come to Earth?"

"According to most of the kids I've spoken to this morning, that is the case," Mackenzie assured him. Was it Hammond's imagination, or was the man looking a little gob-smacked?

"How many are we talking about?"

"The oldest kids were telling me that there are at least twenty other settlements, maybe more, with about the same number of kids in each, maybe a little more, maybe a little less," Mackenzie informed him. "I don't know if we have the space."

"I know for certain we don't," Hammond told him. "The number we have now has made it pretty tight around here, quarters-wise."

Mackenzie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think we're in trouble, sir."

"The good news is that Markham reports things are going fine," Hammond said, grasping at that one slim ray of hope. "No illnesses or injuries, kids are settling in well, sleeping well, getting along with others and with the adults, keeping the majority of staff busy and eating well."

Mackenzie chuckled. "Oh, yes, I heard mention of that from the kitchen staff. They like the food we have here. Put it in front of them and they'll eat it. The staff finds it very gratifying."

Hammond grinned. "Was it true that the staff needed to re-stock the salad bar twice during lunch today?"

"Kids who like vegetables…who knew?"

Walter knocked on the door frame. "Sir, I think you might want to see this," he said. "Come take a look." He was grinning as he led them out of the office and into the control booth. Down below in the Gate room Stephens and the rest of SG-7 was leading a group of about forty kids in a rousing rendition of "The Ants Go Marching."

"It was really the only place that was big enough and they've been in the for a while now," Walter explained. "Anyways, the kids just love it."

Hammond watched the goings-on and had to laugh. "I think Stephens has a future in children's television."

Mackenzie lost it and started laughing so hard that he had to sit down. He tried to tell them why he was laughing so much, but every time he took a breath in order to speak he started laughing again. Finally, he choked out, "Give me a minute."

Walter and Hammond were left to wonder as Mackenzie picked himself up and left the room, still laughing too hard to speak. Walter and Hammond were left to wonder for about five minutes until he came back in and grinned at the pair of them.

"Sorry," he said. "Stephens told me earlier today that he didn't think he'd ever get used to them, but it looks like he's gotten used to them pretty darn fast."

"Looks like it," Walter said as the song in the Gate room ended.

"Okay, so what do you guys want to do next?" they heard Stephens ask.

"The fun song!" a little girl shouted. "Let's do the fun song!"

"Oooh, no, guys!" Stephens said immediately. "We've already done that song five times!"

"Pleeeeaase!" the same girl begged. A second later the rest of the kids broke out into a clamor that made Stephens clamp his hands over his ears.

"All right!" he told them, raising his voice to get over the noise. "But only if you're quiet!"

Instant silence.

"I should have him babysit my niece," Mackenzie said as Stephens stretched his arms over his head. "He was practically in tears over these kids because he didn't know how to handle them and now look. It's remarkable, isn't it?"

"Shh," Walter said, grinning enough to crack his face in two. "Wait until you hear the fun song."

"All right, here we go," Stephens said. "Get ready!"

All three men in the control booth broke down laughing as they heard Stephens and the rest of SG-7 break into Beyonce's "Single Ladies."

* * *

Daniel didn't want to admit it, but he was scared to death. He was more than scared; he was frightened out of his wits. He was about to undergo the Asgard equivalent to surgery and he had no idea of what was going to happen or how he would feel. He didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid of how much it might hurt. Did the Asgard even have an anesthetic that would be effective on humans?

Thor explained what would happen in a clear manner. Daniel would wear the absolute minimum of clothing he needed for modesty and nothing else. He and SG-1 would report to the designated exam room for a pre-op exam and pre-op preparation. Once that was finished they would be taken to the operating room and Daniel would be asked to lie prone on a padded couch. SG-1 would be welcome to stay but they would have to adhere to the procedures that Thor had outlined earlier, i.e., no interruptions. Once Daniel was settled, they would begin the procedure.

Every time he thought about what was going to happen, he started to get a cold, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to vomit, but Thor had told him that that would put too much strain on his body for him to feel comfortable.

_The thought of this isn't making me feel too comfortable,_ he thought bleakly, staring at the pair of white shorts he was expected to put on. Gritting his teeth, he changed and wrapped up in a blanket before leaving his room and joining the rest of SG-1.

"Hey," Jack said. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Daniel admitted. "I just hope this won't be too bad."

"Piece of cake," Jack said, getting to his feet. "Thor told me to carry you from here on out. Either me, Teal'c, or Carter."

"I can walk," Daniel said, fighting down panic. He wished someone would come along and knock him out. The dread was killing him.

Jack scooped him up. "Sorry, Daniel. Doctor's orders."

"Fine."

"All right, people, let's do this," Jack said, settling Daniel in his arms.

Thor met them just outside the room and led them through the hallways and into another room. This room was warmer and the Asgard waiting there was one of Daniel's doctors, and although all of SG-1 were having trouble remembering which was which, they greeted her warmly.

"Please place him here," she said, motioning to a low enclosed couch next to her. "Now, Daniel, this may be uncomfortable for you, but just hold very still."

"What's going to happen?" he asked as Jack helped him lie down under the canopy and work his way out of the blanket.

"The surface of the couch will lower itself into the unit," she said, tapping the sides of the furniture. "You will be submerged in a viscous liquid that will enter your body through various orifices, so you must be relaxed."

Daniel stared at her. "I don't like the sound of this."

"It will be for only a minute," she hastened to reassure him. "And I will give you something that will help you relax. Once you have been submerged, the solution will remain in your body while you are undergoing the procedure. You will not breathe and your heart will not beat, but you will be fine. Would you prefer to be unconscious for the procedure itself?"

"You know what?" Daniel said, sliding to the side of the couch. "This is a bad idea. I'll just grow up again if that's all right with you."

"Hold it," Jack said, going to Daniel's side. "Daniel, we didn't come all this way just to stop now and go back home. This has to be done. How about they knock you out now so you don't have to be awake for any of it?" Jack suggested before turning to the Asgard. "Is that possible?"

She tilted her head to one side, considering. "Yes, it is possible. It may even be preferable if it helps his body relax."

"See?" Jack said, his arm around Daniel. "And we all promise to be right with you the whole time and to be with you when you wake up."

"Indeed," Teal'c said. "Undomesticated equines could not drag us away, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel smiled at the old joke. "Thanks, guys."

"Hey, you're welcome," Sam said kindly. "We'd prefer to be with you since that would keep us from worrying. Then, when you wake up, we'll be able to know right away so we can start fussing over you."

Daniel smiled again. "Okay. I think I'm ready now."

Everything happened exactly as the doctor had said. Once the spray he was given took effect, Daniel fell into a sleep so deep that they were sure he wasn't about to wake up anytime soon. He was submerged for a minute in a clear liquid that reminded Jack of some very thick water and then brought up and dried off. The doctor then spread some ointment on each of Daniel's joints and asked Jack to wrap him up again and keep him warm.

"It will be only a few minutes and then we'll be ready for him," she said.

"He _is_ okay, right?" Jack said. She was truthful when she'd said that Daniel wouldn't breathe or have a heartbeat and it was freaking him out just a little bit.

"He is fine. I will be back."

"I wish I could be so calm," Sam said, looking at Daniel worriedly. "He's so still. It's almost like he's—"

"Don't give me nightmares, Carter," Jack said bleakly.

"Daniel Jackson is only sleeping," Teal'c said. "We have been assured of that."

None of them said anything else, and then Daniel's doctor was back, motioning for them to follow her. The room beyond was just as warm as the one they'd been in and Thor and Daniel's doctors gathered around the center table as Jack laid Daniel down.

"Thank you, O'Neill," Thor said. "There is a sitting area to the left if you would like to remain."

"Oh, that's a given," Jack said. "Thanks, Thor."

The three of them sat down while the Asgard began the procedure. There was not a scalpel in sight, but there were plenty of buzzing, humming lights. There were also a ton of spray injections and some kind of oxygen mask put over Daniel's face. Jack didn't understand why they were doing that since Daniel wasn't breathing, but he wasn't about to interrupt to ask.

"Sir," Sam whispered, leaning close to him in order to be as quiet as possible. "Is it just me, or can you see Daniel's bones?"

That threw him and he looked carefully at Daniel. Sure enough, he could see a faint outline of Daniel's bones through his skin. _Okay, that's creepy._ He nodded but kept his mouth shut. If he spoke he was certain he wouldn't be able to keep from interrupting them in order to ask if Daniel was okay.

By his watch, the procedure took a little over two hours but it felt much, much longer to the three conscious members of SG-1. By the time it was finished, Jack was bouncing his leg up and down nervously, Carter was nibbling on a fingernail and Teal'c resembled a statue. It was clear that all of them were worried. When Thor approached all of them snapped to attention.

"Everything went wonderfully," Thor said. "We would prefer to keep Daniel Jackson in our infirmary until tomorrow at the least. His body will begin expelling the suspension he was submerged in and it will be easier for him to do that in the infirmary."

"Ah, it'll be messy, I take it?" Jack asked.

Thor blinked. "Quite, but he will feel much better once he has expelled the suspension."

Jack glanced past Thor to where Daniel lay on the table. "Will he start growing while he's in the infirmary?"

"He will grow very fast once the liquid has been expelled," Thor promised. "Once he begins growing his appetite will increase, so he will spend a great deal of time eating. Once he is back to his normal size and his appetite returns to normal he will be finished growing and there will be nothing else to do. He will be fine."

Jack carried Daniel to the infirmary and insisted on settling Daniel in bed. The nurses and doctors took over then, hooking Daniel up to various devices and taking readings. No sooner was the last device in place than Daniel twitched and began coughing. A mask was put over his face and they let him cough himself out until the pitch of his cough changed.

"Is he all right?" Sam asked.

"He was expelling the liquid in his lungs and throat," one of the nurses explained. "It will take time for what is stored in the rest of his body to come out, but it will. He will sleep a while longer."

Over the next couple of hours, Daniel did sleep. He was so deeply asleep that he didn't even toss and turn as he usually did when he slept. Jack had wished that Daniel's nightmares would end and that he would sleep well, but now he was wishing that Daniel would just give a jerk or something to let them know that he hadn't died.

He was just wondering if he should get someone to check on Daniel when one of his doctors came in. Shortly after he walked in the door Daniel shivered and sat up, his eyes wide.

"How are you feeling, Daniel?" he asked.

"I need the toilet—bad!"

Jack helped him to the room that the doctor pointed to and they figured out how to work the head just in time. Jack waited outside while Daniel took care of business and helped him back to bed once Daniel said he was finished.

"You okay?" Jack asked as Daniel settled back into bed.

"I hope I never have to do that again," Daniel said fervently as the doctor began checking him over. "I've never had to pee like that in my life!"

Sam fought down a laugh. Right now would not be a good time for him to have injured dignity. Besides, he still looked a little loopy from the drugs.

Daniel's next words proved her right. "Hey, Jack? When we get home, can we go out for beer? I feel like I wanna get drunk!"

Jack stared at him. "Wanna get drunk" and "Daniel" just didn't make sense. If he had alcohol at all then it would be no more than one or two beers. The few times he could remember Daniel drunk was when he'd had too much offworld moonshine, and he knew that those times were complete accidents. Jack glanced at the doctor and then at Thor as he came in. "Thor, what was in the anesthetic you gave him?"

"It is harmless, O'Neill," Thor reassured him.

"Harmless!" Daniel hooted. "Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Teal'c, Sam, and Jack stared at their friend as he plopped into the cushioned surface of his bed and laughed. He kicked his feet under the covers and held his sides, laughing too hard to speak.

"Any side effects?" Jack persisted, more than a little unnerved at Daniel's behavior.

"A slight feeling of euphoria is possible," the doctor admitted.

"_Slight_ feeling?" Jack echoed. "This isn't slight, it's practically manic!"

"MANIC!" Daniel whooped. "MANIC! Oh, Jack, you're so funny!" He turned to his doctor. "Isn't he funny?"

"Quite," the Asgard agreed blankly. "How do you feel, Dr. Jackson?"

"I feel good," Daniel sang. "Deh, deh deh deh, dehdeh deh, I knew that I would! And I feeeel nice...Uh, what comes next?"

"Could you give him something that'll make him calm down?" Jack asked a little desperately. This wild and crazy Daniel was starting to scare him a little.

"Oh, skida marinky dinky dink, skida marinky doo," Daniel sang, hugging a pillow. "I loooooove yoooouu!"

Sam left. Between one second and the next she was gone and Jack had a strong feeling that she was out in the hallway laughing like a loon. A punch-drunk Daniel was pretty funny, but right now Jack was too busy freaking out to appreciate the humor.

Daniel stopped singing and looked at all of the devices still attached to him. One was a small device affixed to his finger that gave off a slight glow. He stared at it, extended his index finger, and grinned, reaching out to Jack. "Oouuuch," he said in a squeaky voice. "Ooouuuuch!"

"Are you in pain, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, moving to Daniel's bedside.

Daniel turned and looked at him before repeating his performance. "Ouuuuch!" He touched Teal'c on the chest and laughed. "There ya go!"

"Oh-kaaayy," Jack said slowly. "What was that?"

Daniel dropped back into bed and stared at his finger before reaching out to Thor. "Ooouuuch! Whee! I'm E.T.! My finger's glowing!"

_Of course,_ Jack thought. "No more Stephen Spielburg movies for you, young man."

Daniel grinned and reached out towards Jack. "Ooouuuch! E.T. phone home! Phone home!"

"Does he wish to call Cheyenne Mountain?" Thor asked, sounding mightily perplexed.

"No, he's just a little loopy right now," Jack said. "That slight feeling of euphoria's pretty strong for Daniel, I think."

"The Force is strong in this one," Daniel intoned.

"Come on, Daniel," Jack said, wishing Daniel would stop acting weird. He made a mental note to make sure that Teal'c no longer chose the movies for their movie nights.

"Patience, young Padawan." Daniel chuckled and hugged another pillow. He hugged each one and then he moved on to Teal'c before hugging Jack. "I love you guys."

"What did you give him, ecstasy?" Jack wanted to know.

Thor looked confused. "Ecstasy?"

"It is an illegal and recreational drug on Tau'ri," Teal'c explained. "It creates feelings of well-being and happiness and is commonly referred to colloquially as 'hug drug'."

"The name is apt," Thor said while the doctor turned and began fussing with vials on a nearby table.

Daniel laughed and hugged a pillow. "Why the heck do I sound like a chipmunk?"

"This will help," the doctor said, bringing over a spray and pressing it to Daniel's neck. "It is a slight calmative."

Daniel giggled and tossed his pillow up in the air. "Sure, it will." A moment later his body relaxed and he looked around at everyone. "Um...what's wrong?"

"How are you feeling? Still loopy?" Jack asked.

"Loopy?" Daniel repeated. "No, not really. Kinda sleepy. Reeeally good, too."

"Okay, he's calmer," Jack said, relieved. "Wonderful."

"Uh, Jack? Could you help me to the toilet?"

* * *

"I told the witch doctor I was in love with you!" Stephens sang at the top of his lungs. "And then the witch doctor, he told me what to do! He said that, "Ooh eeh ooh ah ah, ding dang, walla walla bing bang!"

"Is that how it goes?" Walter asked, still happy to watch Stephens and the rest of SG-7 make fools of themselves.

"Who cares?" Mackenzie asked, for once shedding the serious doctor persona. "This is entertaining!"

It was entertaining. In the space of the Gate room, SG-7 and a few other volunteers were given the kids a grand old time by singing songs with them, playing games, and generally just having fun. The funniest thing had been a game of "Red Light Green Light" where SG-7 lost to a seven-year-old. That, and the number of times they'd done "the fun song."

"As fun as this is, we still have to find somewhere for them all to go," Hammond said. "I've had five offers from staff members for adoption, but there are a lot of kids here now and there are a lot more of them waiting to come."

"Any thoughts, sir?" Walter asked.

"Some. A few. Well, one, really. I just hope that it's possible."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Jack was a much happier man than he'd been just two days before. Two days before, he'd been worried about Daniel. He'd just been through the Asgard equivalent of surgery and was recuperating, but now, he seemed…much, much better, actually. He was elated over this. Daniel's color was good, he'd grown six inches, and he was eating almost everything in sight. Aside from the lingering effects of the anesthesia, things couldn't be going better.

"How's he doing?" he asked Carter as he entered the infirmary.

"He was eating a little bit ago, started laughing, and then fell asleep," she said, grinning.

"I can't believe anesthesia could have an effect like this," he said, dropping into a chair.

"Thor says that it's had an effect on the humor areas of Daniel's brain," Carter explained. "Once he's finished growing, it should stop."

"And if it doesn't?" Jack could just imagine Daniel dissolving into laughter during a presentation or during dicey negotiations off-world. That would not be good.

"Thor's pretty confident that the doctors can formulate something that can take care of it," she said. "I'm just hoping that he's all right."

"I'm sure he will be," Jack said. "I mean, he's eating, getting plenty of rest, growing…"

"That's not what I mean, sir," she interrupted. "I think that this whole experience has had an effect on him."

Jack paused. "Oh."

"Yeah."

They were both quiet then, watching Daniel sleep. On the surface, he seemed okay. His color was good, his body relaxed in sleep, but when they looked more closely, subtle signs of strain and stress were apparent on his face. If they hadn't been his friends and hadn't known him so well, they wouldn't have even noticed such clues, but they were there. There was a slight, very, very slight line between Daniel's eyebrows, dark circles under his eyes, and every now and then his fingers would twitch. When Daniel slept, he slept hard, and he only moved in his sleep when he was having a vivid dream...or if something was worrying him.

"I'll talk to him," Jack promised, still watching his friend sleep. "It's possible that he'll want to talk. Who knows? I might get lucky and he could just be aching to get things off his chest."

Sam glanced at her CO, her expression saying it all.

Jack caught the glance. "Yeah, okay, and maybe pigs will fly tomorrow, too, but I can always try. Don't be a pessimist, Carter."

"Yes, sir."

"How is Daniel Jackson, O'Neill?"

Neither of them had heard Teal'c come through the door behind them.

"Geez! Teal'c! Give a guy some warning, next time!" Jack yelped, jumping.

"Then I shall warn you," Teal'c said evenly, glancing past his friends to the sleeping Daniel "How is Daniel Jackson?"

"So far, so good," Jack said. "I think he's going to wake up in a little bit."

"He will be hungry," Teal'c offered.

Sam chuckled, thinking of the way her friend had been eating since the procedure. "I think he's done nothing but sleep and eat since they did that surgery."

"And laugh," Teal'c reminded her. "I said hello to him yesterday and he laughed."

"He didn't mean anything by it, Teal'c," Jack said quickly. "The anesthesia's affecting the humor areas of his brain. It should wear off."

"Thor informed me, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

A rustle drew their attention to the bed. Daniel rolled over onto his back, opened his eyes, and said what they were expecting. "I'm hungry."

"Hi, Danny-boy," Jack said, grinning. "How ya feelin'?"

"Hungry," Daniel said, sitting up. "Could I have something to eat?"

"Sure," Sam said, pressing what everyone called the "call button." Basically, it let the staff here know that the patient was awake and most likely hungry. They used it whenever there wasn't an Asgard around, which was rare. The Asgard found watching Daniel grow fascinating, so usually there would be at least one or two or more in the room, observing the only human child they would see up close. When he was in one of his giggling fits they found him extra-adorable and the female Asgard descended on the infirmary in droves to see him.

Thor arrived a few minutes later, carrying a well-laden tray. "It is good to see you, Daniel Jackson," he said, placing the tray on a table and wheeling it into place.

"Thanks, Thor," Daniel said. "Good to see you, too, and thanks for bringing me a snack."

"I am glad to do so," Thor answered as Daniel dug in. "Do you have any pain?"

Daniel shook his head. "Just hungry."

"None in your joints?"

"Not really," Daniel said, munching on some bread. "Just hungry."

"Why would he have pain in his joints, Thor?" Jack asked.

"He is approaching a time of rapid growth," Thor explained. "His joints will begin to ache when that happens."

"Oh, growing pains," Jack said, catching on. "We all have those when we grow up. No biggie."

"Sir, I think they'll be something to worry about," Sam said. "If Daniel's growing really, really fast..."

Jack's mind made a mental leap it didn't often make. "Oh."

"Precisely," Thor said, watching Daniel eat. "Such growing pains will indeed be painful. We expect them to start soon. When they begin, you will have to let us know as quickly as possible so we can relieve the pain."

"Will they stop me eating?" Daniel asked after swallowing his present mouthful.

"They should not," Thor said.

"Good." Daniel returned to his food.

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c were all deeply and profoundly grateful for the advances that the Asgard had made in the area of food for their off-world guests. Instead of waxy little cookies that tasted terrible, they now had reasonable facsimiles of breads and grains, salad greens, fish, fruits, nuts, milk, yogurt, and cheese. They'd even managed to make sweeteners, seasonings, and other flavorings. If each item by itself taken all together constituted a meal, then meals would have gotten pretty boring, but amazingly, some of the Asgard had found a calling in the culinary arts. Nothing pleased them better than creating a new dish for their Tau'ri guests and hearing how they liked it. They'd run afoul of some very...creative..dishes, but so far, each one had been edible, and that was what most important.

Daniel didn't care if what was on his plate was someone's latest creation or not, he just wanted food. He was growing so fast that he was always hungry, so the Asgard found it very satisfying to feed him. They created salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, casseroles and countless other things for Daniel. There was always something ready for him to eat, so he was perfectly happy. The thing that really surprised all of them was when two of the Asgard chefs wheeled in what could be called a dessert cart, full of things for them all to try.

"How did you know how to make this?" Daniel asked, happily digging into a piece of what looked like chocolate cake.

"We examined Tau'ri information files," one of their "chefs" offered.

Jack remembered Thor mentioning once that the Asgard would often hack Earth computers in order to stay current on what human beings were learning and doing. "So you found some recipes?" Jack asked, a little surprised. Whose computers had they hacked, the Food Network's?

One of the Asgard nodded, clearly very happy with how much Daniel was enjoying his cake. "Yes. We had not realized just how creative the Tau'ri can be with food, nor had we realized how much they enjoyed sweet things."

"It's an evolutionary thing," Sam said, eyeing a slice of pie...or was it cheesecake? "Our ancestors were driven to consume high-calorie foods since they couldn't always be sure that they would get enough to eat at their next meal."

"Oh, please," one of the chefs said, seeing where her attention was directed. "We were hoping you would all tell us what you think of our latest attempts."

"Mmmm." Daniel was still decimating the cake on his plate. With the way he was going at it, then the poor cake didn't stand a chance.

Sam took the slice of pie/cheesecake she'd been eyeing and took a bite. She smiled. "Mmmm."

"Mmmm. What is mmmm?" one of the Asgard asked.

"It's what people say when they really like the taste of something," Jack explained. "How's that pie, Carter?"

She chewed and swallowed, her smile beatific. "Wonderful. It's not as sweet as what we're used to, but it's still very, very good. Not as much sweetness in it allows other flavors to come out. It's a perfect balance, I think."

Thinking back on that now, Jack could remember that the chefs had been pleased as punch that they'd liked what they'd cooked. He glanced at Daniel's tray and saw that the chefs had sent up all of Daniel's favorites, including some chocolate cake. He still wanted to know just how they'd managed to replicate chocolate when he knew that most of the Asgard he knew found chocolate to be absolutely disgusting. Who had been brave enough to try tasting any of it?

"Mmm," Daniel said, finishing off the last scrap of a vegetable casserole before moving on to the cake. "This is good."

"Shall I send for more?" Thor asked.

"I don't know yet," Daniel said thoughtfully. "Let me see how I feel in a little bit."

"I think you will be hungry, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, sounding as amused as he could be.

"Most likely, but probably not right away," Daniel answered. "Maybe a little something to drink first...ah!"

The sudden gasp scared all of them.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, rushing to Daniel's side.

"You know those growing pains Thor mentioned?" Daniel asked. "They've hit...bad!"

Thor scurried out the door, moving so fast that most of them didn't see him move. Jack, however, had spent a little more time with Thor, so he caught the movement. Despite having really short legs, the Asgard could move like nobody's business when they wanted to.

"Now where's he going?" Jack wanted to know as Daniel grabbed his hand. "Danny?"

"Ah, really hurts...all over," Daniel said through clenched teeth. A second later he whimpered. "This is worse than my appendix."

Sam hit the call button and started explaining what was happening to whomever was on the other end. Jack didn't hear their reply since Daniel's whimper turned into a sob. In the next moment, he was wailing. The moment after that, Jack was sitting on the bed and had Daniel in his lap, trying everything he could think of to make it better. Another few minutes went by with Daniel wailing the whole time. He was crying, too, and Jack was fighting down panic. Where the _hell_ was Thor?

"Here I am," Thor said, rushing through the door, followed by all of Daniel's doctors. "How bad is the pain, O'Neill?"

"I think it's safe to say that it's absolutely terrible," Jack said, still holding Daniel.

Thor nodded and the doctors closed in, examining Daniel while he was still on Jack's lap. After a few moments of conferring with one another they produced a hypospray, pressed it against Daniel's arm, and almost instantly Daniel relaxed.

"Ohhh, that's better," Daniel sighed. "Thank you."

"You are welcome," one of the doctors told him.

"What did you give him?" Jack asked. He knew that Asgard medicine was an incredible thing, but it still surprised him that it worked so quickly.

"A pain medicine," the doctor told him. "He should have a daily shot of it to keep the pain manageable."

"Now, it's not going to have any side effects, is it?" Jack wanted to know. "The anesthesia made him slap-happy, so will this do anything?"

"He may be a little more sleepy, but that is all. Nothing so extreme as the anesthesia's effects."

"Oh, good," Jack said.

"Um, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm okay now."

Jack looked down at Daniel. "Yeah. That medicine's pretty fast, huh?"

"Is there a reason I'm still on your lap?"

He got the hint right away and put Daniel back on his bed. "Sorry. Instinct when there's a sick kid, I guess."

"That's okay," Daniel told him.

Jack saw Daniel glance at the Asgard and knew immediately that the female doctor was one of the ladies who liked to come and gawk at the human "child." At the moment, her eyes were bright and she actually looked as if she were smiling a little. Yep, Daniel as a kid was just too cute for people to resist.

Things quieted down after that. The Asgard went about their business and the rest of SG-1 gathered around Daniel to keep him company.

"I've been thinking about what'll happen when we go home," Daniel said thoughtfully in the quiet.

"About what'll happen?" Jack echoed. "What do you think?"

"I have a gut feeling that the NID's going to make waves once we get back home," he confessed. "After all, I've been subjected to a lot of alien procedures lately...one of them's bound to have something to say."

"I wish the NID would just let us do our jobs without interfering," Jack muttered. "If I can't have that, then I'd like to have a rocket with plenty of fuel, put them in it, and blast them into deep space."

Sam chuckled. "I fully understand the feeling, sir."

"I have had it more than once," Teal'c added.

Daniel grinned, amused by his friends' joking.

"Seriously, Daniel," Jack said, turning to his friend. "We're not gonna let the NID bother you. We won't, and I'm sure that everybody on that base won't let them, either."

"General Hammond will be a fierce protector," Teal'c said, smiling.

Something about Teal'c's smile made Jack think. "Teal'c? What'cha thinkin'?"

"Only something that I overheard General Hammond say to his aide."

"Okay, now you've gotta spill," Jack said. "What'd he say?"

"I am not sure if I should betray the general's confidence, O'Neill."

"What confidence?" Jack reminded him. "It's just something you overheard, right? He didn't ask you to keep anything secret."

"Sometimes the soul of discretion is keeping things secret even when you aren't asked to," Daniel told Jack, flopping into his pillows.

"Yeah, but it's gonna drive me crazy until I know." Jack fixed his friend with a gimlet stare. "Come on, Teal'c. What did the general say?"

Teal'c looked at his teammates and grinned before looking at Daniel. "Do you think I should tell them, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel laughed. "Oh, no. I'm not getting into the middle of this!"

"Aw, come on!"

"The decision of whether I tell you or not rests with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, smiling devilishly.

Daniel laughed again, feeling as if Teal'c had just played a prank. "Didn't I say I wasn't getting into the middle of this?"

"I think you might have mentioned it," Sam admitted. "Come on, Daniel, now I'm curious. What did General Hammond say, Teal'c?"

Teal'c looked at Daniel and grinned. "Shall I tell them, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel groaned, but he was grinning. "Fine, all right. What did he say?" He didn't want to admit it, but Teal'c's mysterious manner had piqued his curiosity.

"I heard him say to Walter that he considered Daniel Jackson as a good friend and that he would be a very proud man if Daniel Jackson were his son."

Daniel blushed. "Did he really say that?"

"That, and more," Teal'c assured him. "I feel that the general thinks of you the same way he would his son."

If Daniel had been blushing before, now his cheeks were blazing and his eyes stung just the tiniest bit. "I'm...I'm very flattered to hear that, Teal'c."

"Since General Hammond's regard for you is so high, it is certain that he will not allow the NID to do anything to you."

"You know, when I met the general, I knew for certain that he was a big teddy bear," Jack said, smiling fit to crack his face in two. "This proves it."

Daniel thought back to a few of the times that the general had come to see him when he'd been in the infirmary or when he'd been through a difficult mission. Teddy bear? Not literally, but the guy seemed to know instinctively when a young man who'd just been through a difficult time needed a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear or even fatherly advice. "You know, I'm glad that he's in charge of the base," Daniel said at last. "It wouldn't be the same with someone else."

"A teddy bear for a CO," Jack said, fighting down a laugh.

"Sir, that's your CO you're talking about," Sam said.

"What? He'd take it as a compliment!"

Daniel chuckled. "I wonder what everyone's doing at the base right now?"

* * *

"I swear, if I have to sing 'Single Ladies' one more time, I'm going to lose it," Stephens said, sprawled in a chair like an old suit.

His teammates nodded. "We know, man. We know."

"I thought I was in good shape," Stephens continued. "Where do these kids get their energy? You know, we should hook them up to a turbine and then the base wouldn't have to worry anymore about power."

"Now that's an idea," Markham said. "I never knew that it would be so exhausting to have them here."

"And there's more waiting," Campbell added.

Stephens groaned. "I'd just forgotten and you had to go and remind me..."

"Sorry."

"SG-7?"

All the men shot to their feet and saluted.

"At ease," General Hammond said, coming into the room. "How are things going?"

As one, the men groaned.

Hammond grinned. "That well, huh?"

"Sir, for the first time in my life, I want to come down with laryngitis just so I don't have to sing anymore!" Stephens almost wailed.

"Not to mention that they're everywhere," Markham added.

"And noisy." Campbell looked as if he were trying to fight a headache.

Calder only nodded, looking exhausted.

"I came down here to run an idea past the four of you," Hammond said, taking a seat. "You said the children are waiting for parents and that more of them are waiting to come to Earth, right?"

"Yeah," Calder said, his voice hoarse.

Hammond stared at him. "Son, are you coming down with something?"

"One too many rounds of 'Single Ladies,' sir," Calder told him.

Thinking about the number of times he'd heard that song coming from the Gate room, Hammond nodded. "I see. Well, when we're done here, go see Dr. Frasier. I'm sure she'll have something that will help."

"Sure thing, sir."

"So, how amenable do you think these kids will be to the parents we've found for them?" Hammond asked.

"Respectfully, sir, I have no clue," Stephens admitted. "They keep asking where their parents are, so I figure that we'd better produce some quick. Otherwise, we'll get mass tantrums."

"Let's avoid that, please?" Campbell pleaded.

Hammond nodded. "All right. Why don't the four of you talk to some of the older kids and get their opinions on the parents we've found?"

"Only five lucky kids are getting adopted, then?" Markham asked.

"Oh, no," Hammond corrected. "I think I've found many more. See how the kids feel about parents who aren't from Earth. After that, get some rest."

"Thanks, sir."

As soon as the general left, all four men immediately dropped back into their chairs.

"Best birth control ever, dealing with kids," Markham groaned.

"You never said a truer word, my friend."

"Who wants to talk to the kids about these parents that the general found?" Stephens asked.

"Not it!" Calder said quickly.

"Aw, come on, man!"

"Not it!"

"Markham!"

"Not it!" "Not it!"

All four of them stared at each other.

"So, seriously...who goes?"

* * *

Hammond stared down at the rough draft of a letter he'd written addressing their present situations. If he could convince the Almadans...well, it would solve several problems and make a lot of kids really happy...

He took out a second letter and sighed. Of all people weird and stressful things had to happen to, why did it always have to be Dr. Jackson? He regarded the young man as a son and it hurt when something upset or injured Dr. Jackson, and seeing him in the state he'd been in before Thor took him for treatment had been nothing short of painful. What he really wanted was to give Daniel a year or so off so he could pursue the archeological work that was so dear to his heart, but the program needed him too badly to allow it. Indeed, they needed about five more Daniels just to handle all of the work that needed his expertise.

Still, there was something he could do for the young man beyond being a sympathetic ear. He could try to give him some kind of closure after each difficulty he had. The letter he was staring at now might just help that process...that is, if the Almadans would agree to it. There was no way that he was about to ask Daniel to go back to that planet by Gate, but having them come here to see him seemed to be a possibility...

A knock on the door brought him out of his introspection. "Come in!"

"Hi, General," Dr. Frasier said as she opened the door. "Got a minute?"

"Certainly," he said, shuffling the papers away. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if we've had any news about Daniel, sir."

"None as of yet," Hammond confessed.

She sighed, nodding. "It feels like they've been gone forever."

"I know how you feel," he sympathized. "I think I do about ninety-five percent of all my worrying about SG-1."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Janet said with a smile. "How much of that worrying is about Daniel?"

"I'd say it's an even split between Dr. Jackson and Colonel O'Neill for a grand total of fifty percent," Hammond joked. "Teal'c and Major Carter don't get into anywhere near the amount of trouble that they do."

"I think the thing that's so mind-boggling is that they never go looking for the trouble, it just seems to find them."

Hammond nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

"Dr. Mackenzie came to see me a little bit ago before I came up here to see you," Janet said. "He said that he would strongly recommend for Dr. Jackson to have some downtime and intensive counseling after this latest experience."

"Dr. Mackenzie always wants Dr. Jackson to go for counseling after anything that happens," George reminded her. "Why is he so adamant this time?"

"He says that what happened to Daniel on Almadas might be a form of trauma."

He dropped the pen he was holding. "What's his reasoning?"

"He said that Daniel might be feeling very violated after such drastic changes were made to his body without his consent," Janet elaborated.

Once again, he was wondering why all these things had to happen to Dr. Jackson. "With that explanation, it almost sounds like a form of rape instead of trauma."

"Dr. Mackenzie didn't come right out and say it, but I think he was thinking that, too," she agreed. "The only thing that kept him from calling it rape was the fact that what happened was in no way sexual."

"I'll make the suggestion to Dr. Jackson when he returns, but I can't promise that he'll agree with it," he told her. "For some reason I can't understand, he's reluctant to talk to Dr. Mackenzie or almost any psychologist."

"Perhaps he'd talk to Colonel O'Neill?"

Hammond grinned. "Now, _that's_ an idea, doctor!"


End file.
